


Sign of the Times

by Patricia_Sage



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood & Catarina Loss Friendship, Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland Friendship, American Sign Language, Angst, Baby Max, Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood Friendship, Clary Fray & Simon Lewis Friendship, Cute Max Lightwood-Bane, Deaf Alec Lightwood, Deaf Character, Demonic Possession, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Drunk Alec Lightwood, Drunk Magnus Bane, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Feels, Fluff, Gen, Good Friend Catarina Loss, Good Parabatai Jace Wayland, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Good Parent Robert Lightwood, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Head of the Institute Alec Lightwood, Lightwood Siblings, Lightwood Siblings Feels, M/M, Magnus Bane & Catarina Loss Friendship, Malec, Married Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Minor Character Death, One Shot, Parabatai, Parabatai Bond, Parabatai Feels, Parent Alec Lightwood, Parent Magnus Bane, Protective Alec Lightwood, Sign Language, Young Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 24,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23231395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patricia_Sage/pseuds/Patricia_Sage
Summary: Looking at him across the room, Clary knew he was exactly like all the soldiers marching around. He was very tall and he stood up straight with his hands clasped behind his back, watching over the training room with serious, dark eyes. He had a large tattoo – no, a rune – blazoned on the side of his neck. Clary could easily imagine him barking out orders or sneering at someone who didn’t do what they were told.But then Jace approached him, leaving Clary in the training room doorway, and Alec’s face softened into a goofy smile. His posture relaxed and he unclasped his hands, giving Jace a light punch on the shoulder as a greeting. And then he started moving his hands…Wait – Alec was deaf?[A set of one-shots from different perspectives and different points in time.]
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood, Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood, Clary Fray & Simon Lewis, Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Maryse Lightwood/Robert Lightwood
Comments: 176
Kudos: 652





	1. Clary Meets Alec

**Author's Note:**

> I am a hearing person. I am learning American Sign Language and I’ve done research on Deaf culture, but I'm no expert. Please correct me if I include any inaccurate information. 
> 
> If you’re interested in learning ASL, you can do that while social distancing! There’s lots of free resources on the Internet. If possible, learn from a Deaf instructor and make sure you are also learning about the culture, not just the language. Feel free to PM me for more information.

Ever since she met Jace, Clary’s life was spinning out of control. Her mom was missing and that in itself made it feel like the gravitational pull of the Earth was gone. Not to mention that Clary was now aware of a whole new universe of people that no other humans knew about – the Shadow World.

Everything was moving so quickly and was so full of danger and unpredictability. Clary stuck herself close to Jace’s side and tried to learn everything about this new world without giving herself a headache. And Jace, incredibly, supported and protected her.

When she woke up in the Institute, she tried to believe Jace’s words that she was safe. But the place unsettled her. It was like a combination of a church and an Apple store, with columns and stained glass surrounding endless technology that she didn’t understand. And there were Shadowhunters everywhere.

Clary was having trouble believing that she was a Shadowhunter. When she watched them marching through the Institute like it was an army barracks, she had trouble thinking of them as anything except soldiers. They were covered in tattoos and leather armour, serious and domineering. Although Jace said she was welcome there, it didn’t feel very welcoming. Clary wasn’t sure she wanted to be a Shadowhunter if this was their culture.

Once Clary was feeling well-rested enough to leave the infirmary, Jace was excited to show her around. He wanted to share his home and introduce her to his family. Clary was interested in meeting his family and seeing whether they were more like the soldiers or more like him.

Isabelle was more like Jace. She was intimidating, for sure, but she also had a bright smile and the kindest eyes. She dressed to kill, literally and figuratively. Isabelle was very interested in Clary’s story, and she asked her many questions about her upbringing. Clary started to feel that maybe all Shadowhunters weren’t so bad.

And then she met Alec.

Looking at him across the room, Clary knew he was exactly like all the soldiers marching around. He was very tall and he stood up straight with his hands clasped behind his back, watching over the training room with serious, dark eyes. He had a large tattoo – no, a rune – blazoned on the side of his neck. Clary could easily imagine him barking out orders or sneering at someone who didn’t do what they were told.

But then Jace approached him, leaving Clary in the training room doorway, and Alec’s face softened into a goofy smile. His posture relaxed and he unclasped his hands, giving Jace a light punch on the shoulder as a greeting. And then he started moving his hands…

Wait – Alec was deaf?

Clary realized she had let her jaw drop a little, and quickly regained her composure as she watched the two men talk. Both Jace and Alec signed swiftly, and the only reason Clary knew anything about what they were talking about was because Jace began pantomiming the fight that resulted in Clary’s injury. Then, Jace pointed toward her in the doorway and Alec’s dark eyes looked up and met hers. His smile reduced and he eyed her a little suspiciously.

Jace beckoned for them to move out of the training room. Alec nodded and turned away, looking toward a curly-haired male Shadowhunter who was watching the soldier training intently. Alec brought his hand down firmly on one of the nearby columns, and the man startled at the noise before rushing to his side. He signed apologetically to Alec, but the taller Shadowhunter brushed off the apology and walked toward Jace and Clary.

“So, Jace tells me you’re in a bit of a predicament,” the curly-haired man said. It took Clary a moment of embarrassing confusion before she realized that he was watching Alec sign as he said this. This man was Alec’s interpreter.

She glanced over at Alec and then back to the curly-haired man. “Yes. My mom is missing and I need help to get her back.”

Alec waved his hand in her line of vision, and she looked away from the interpreter. Alec pointed two fingers at Clary’s face and then at his own eyes. She didn’t need to know sign language to know he was saying, “Look at me.”

He was so tall and had slight irritation written on his serious face, Clary knew she was messing this up. “Sorry.” She extended her hand. “I’m Clary Fray.”

He gave her a brief and firm handshake and then his right hand was moving dextrously. Clary knew enough about sign language to know he was spelling his name. “Alec Lightwood. But call me Alec.”

Jace must have seen her slightly confused expression because he inserted himself into the conversation. He repeated the hand position Alec had just done – his hand in a fist with the thumb to the side. “This is an A. And this,” he pulled the A hand position back toward his face, as if he was drawing the string of a bow, “is Alec’s name sign.”

“Name sign?”

Jace nodded. “Yeah, it’s like a shortcut instead of fingerspelling your whole name. But it has to be given to you by a Deaf person.”

“Do you have one?” Clary asked, curious.

“Yeah.” Jace took his pinky finger and swiped it across the front of his body like he was swinging a blade.

“All of your name signs seem to be fighting-related.” Clary noticed out of the corner of her eye that the interpreter was signing their dialogue to Alec. She blushed, realizing she had been ignoring him. “So…Alec. What’s your job here?”

Jace laughed a little, but she didn’t know why until Alec responded. “I’m the Head of the Institute.”

“Oh, wow!” Clary found herself stuck, not wanting to appear dismissive but not wanting to appear surprised. She shrugged a bit, “I guess I’ll be seeing you around then!” Alec nodded and Clary turned around, leading a slightly confused Jace away.

Clary wanted to hit her head against a nearby wall. She wondered if Alec would ever respect her.


	2. Jace Meets Alec (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Jace and Alec became friends (part one of two).

Jace’s life had turned upside down in the past few weeks. First, his father died in front of his very eyes. Then, he was transported to New York on a ship full of werewolves and found by Robert Lightwood, who agreed to adopt and raise him. He spent most of his time alone while the adoption situation was taken care of and, finally, he was able to move into the New York Institute – his new home. 

Jace was ten years old and he had been through a lifetime of pain. 

Robert and Maryse Lightwood were strict, but not the same kind of strict that Jace’s father had been. They never raised their voices or hit him, but they did have expectations for his behaviour that they enforced through serious discussions. Mostly, they treated Jace with calm kindness as he got settled into his new life. 

The Lightwoods had two children of their own. Jace had yet to meet them and the thought of them made him nervous. He had been homeschooled by his father and hadn’t interacted much with other Shadowhunter children. And these children were supposed to become his siblings. Something harsh sprung up in his chest when he thought about having a brother and sister…no, he wouldn’t let himself get close to them. They would be training companions and nothing more. 

He met Isabelle on accident. Jace had been walking through the halls of the Institute, trying to find the optimal route between his new bedroom and the training room, when he was nearly knocked over by another person running into his back. He turned around swiftly, putting his arms up in a defensive stance, ready to strike. 

“Whoops, sorry!” The girl looked to be about Jace’s age. She had long, dark hair and big, dark eyes. “Who are you?”

Jace dropped his hands. “Jace Wayland.” He had decided to call himself Jace, not Jonathan. Jonathan was what his father called him. 

“By the Angel, you’re my new brother?” She held out her hand. “I’m Isabelle Lightwood.”

“Oh.” Jace shook her hand firmly. “Nice to meet you.” He gestured toward his bedroom, “I’ve got to go now.”

“Okay,” she said, uncertain but still excited, “I’ll see you around!”

Jace sat on his bed. That wasn’t so bad. 

That evening, Maryse knocked on his door. Jace closed the book he was reading and opened the door. “Maryse.”

“Hello Jace,” Maryse said, her eyes serious, “May I come in?”

“Sure.”

She sat at his desk and he sat on the bed. He wondered if he had done something wrong, broken some rule he hadn’t been aware of. 

“Isabelle told me that you two ran into each other today.”

Quite literally. “Yes.”

“What did you think of her?”

“She’s…” Jace paused, “energetic.”

Maryse’s face softened into a small smile. “She’s very excited to get to know you. You two are the same age, although she hasn’t had nearly as much training experience as you.”

“Oh.” Jace was disappointed. He was falling behind on his training and was beginning to feel restless. “What about your son? Can I train with him?”

Maryse gave a small nod. “Actually, I came here to talk to you about Alec. There’s something you should know.” Jace frowned and she continued. “When Alec was born, we found out that he was unable to hear. There was nothing the Silent Brothers could do to repair it.”

“He’s…deaf?”

“Yes.”

Jace stared at his hands, frustrated. Out of the two children who were supposed to be his training partners, one of them was utterly inexperienced and the other was disabled. Jace was never going to become the best fighter without someone to train with. 

“So what you’re saying is I can’t train with anyone here.” Jace tried to keep his voice neutral. These people gave him a home, after all. 

To his surprise, Maryse chuckled, “Oh, don’t worry. You’ll be able to train with Alec. The only thing you will have trouble with is communicating with him.”

“Really?” Jace couldn’t imagine how someone could be an effective fighter without being able to hear. 

“We hire an interpreter for Alec when it comes to his studies, but not for training or his personal life. My family has learned sign language, but there is no pressure for you to do so. Just understand that, if you are talking with Alec outside of classes, you will need to use pen and paper to communicate. He can lipread a little, so make sure you are speaking slowly and clearly. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” 

Maryse put her hand gently on his shoulder. “Have a good night, Jace. I’ll see you tomorrow morning in the training room.”

“Good night.”

*****

When Jace entered the training room early the next morning, he found it full of young Shadowhunters sparring in pairs. He watched a few of them carefully, noticing the weaknesses in their technique, considering how he would take them down. Then, he noticed Maryse near the back of the room and he walked towards her. 

Maryse was observing a sparring match between two boys, about twelve years old. They were both using a long fighting stick as a weapon, and they cracked against each other often. One of the boys had broad shoulders, red hair, and freckles. The other boy was tall, with dark hair and dark eyes. He looked like Isabelle, and Jace knew who he was. 

Alec fought with agility and strength. He had an expert defence, not letting any of the other boy’s attacks land its mark. Jace watched, impressed, as Alec made the other boy wear himself out. Finally, he shoved forward with his fighting stick, knocking the red-haired boy off balance. Then he landed an expert blow to the boy’s chest, knocking him down. 

Alec turned to look at his mother, breathing hard. Maryse nodded in approval. Then, she dismissed the red-haired boy and picked up the fighting stick he had discarded. She handed it to Jace. 

Jace wasn’t sure how he felt, fighting someone who was deaf. But he did know that he had been itching for a fight these past few sedentary weeks, and he wanted to see if he could break through Alec’s defence. So, he stepped onto the training mat and settled into a fighting stance. The other boy did the same. 

Jace had never trained with anyone other than his father. It took him a few moments to get used to Alec’s height and speed and strength. Jace was prepared for Alec to primarily block, so he got ready to unleash a barrage of strikes…but Alec lunged forward unexpectedly, his weapon glancing off of Jace’s shoulder. 

Jace’s surprise must have shown on his face, because the other boy smiled a bit as he continued to strike offensively. He knew that Jace had been watching him before and he knew that Jace would have expected a defensive strategy. Jace was impressed and…excited. This boy wasn’t easy to beat in a fight. He would make a great training partner.

They sparred for a long time, neither giving too much ground. The longer it went on, the more Jace enjoyed himself, and he realized he was smiling as they fought. Alec, a little confused but also exhilarated, was smiling too. And Jace felt a bit of panic flutter in his heart. No, this wasn’t right. He must remain detached. 

But as they danced around each other for what felt like hours, Jace couldn’t help but think of how advantageous it would be for them to be a team. 

Eventually, Maryse called for a stop to their fight. She introduced Alec to Jace, using a mixture of American Sign Language and spoken English so that they both could understand. Then Maryse beckoned her son to follow her to his demonology lesson. As they walked away, their hands moving swiftly and efficiently as they talked, Jace felt frustrated that he couldn’t understand. 

It was for training purposes, he told himself. He would need to be able to communicate with Alec on different attack strategies, that’s all. 

Yes, he needed to learn sign language so that he could become a better fighter. So he could be the best. That’s all.


	3. Jace Meets Alec (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Jace and Alec became Parabatai (part two of two)

Jace hated not being good at something.

He watched Robert coach Alec and Isabelle on different fighting techniques. They communicated exclusively by signing, and the silence was broken only by sounds of fighting and the occasional laugh. Jace wanted to understand, he wanted to participate. He told himself it was because he didn’t want to miss out on new fighting techniques.

When he saw Isabelle and Alec signing together over supper, he told himself the frustration was because he didn’t want to miss out on any valuable information about the Institute.

It wasn’t as if he and Alec couldn’t communicate. Any time they had spare time during class together, Jace would grab the interpreter and ask Alec a lot of questions. Alec would ask him questions, too.

It was incredibly difficult to have a conversation outside of class time, though. Jace and Alec would sit together in a corner of the institute and pass a notepad back and forth. Alec was pretty good at lipreading, but Jace had to speak very slowly and sometimes there were miscommunications. Sometimes the miscommunications were hilarious, and the boys found themselves giggling together. Alec laughed too loudly and Jace often had to shush him just in case Maryse found them and told them to get back to work.

Alec was surprisingly funny for such a serious young man. Jace wasn’t used to smiling this much every day. Sometimes, when Isabelle was struggling to understand a concept in class and asking a lot of stupid questions, Alec would turn and look at Jace, eyebrow raised and eyes wide…and Jace would struggle to hold in a laugh.

He hadn’t felt this way about anyone before.

*****

“Find me a tutor. I want to learn sign language.”

Maryse looked up from the report she was writing. “You will have to take some time out of your training schedule.”

“Fine.”

*****

ASL was the first language Jace had learned that wasn’t a spoken modality. However, he had always been good at learning languages, so he picked up on it quickly. The tutor seemed surprised by the ferociousness with which Jace practiced, wanting to expand his vocabulary as quickly as possible.

When Jace first signed to Alec, the older boy’s face lit up in delight. He slowed his signing down so that Jace could understand. He was very happy to practice. Sometimes, they told Maryse they were going to train and instead would hide in a spare classroom, talking. Jace found fingerspelling to be immensely helpful and he learned many signs from Alec by fingerspelling the English word.

Soon, Jace was a good enough signer to understand the family conversations, and he hesitantly shared his own stories. Isabelle, Maryse, and Robert were delighted to see him signing, and Alec looked at him proudly from across the table. Jace felt warmth spread through his chest.

So much for not getting attached.

*****

Alec gave him his name sign the day after their first hunt together. “YOUR NAME JACE, I THINK,” he signed, Jace’s name replaced with a J hand position slashing in front of his body, “BECAUSE YOU FIGHTER GREAT.”

Jace repeated the sign, grinning. “THANKS. I LIKE,” he replied.

Lying in bed that night, he practiced his name sign a few times, smiling. Jace had been thinking about Alec all week, a tingling feeling filling up his chest. In class they had been learning about _Parabatai_ – two Shadowhunters who connected their souls. Strengths combined, shared…the ultimate team. Jace couldn’t help but think about how Alec balanced him out. His level-headedness tempered Jace’s impulsiveness, and his attention to detail improved Jace’s strategizing. Also, Alec made him feel safe.

Jace thought about his father’s lesson four years ago … to love is to destroy. Was becoming someone’s _Parabatai_ a good idea? Would the dangerous vulnerability outweigh the advantages? What if something happened to Alec because of him?

*****

One day, a few of the other teenagers at the Institute decided to mess with Alec. They likely were sick of he and Jace beating them in training all the time. Jace was busy putting enforcing runes on his weapons, so he didn’t see anything. He just heard Alec’s shout of pain and surprise and turned to see his friend lying face-down on the ground. Two Shadowhunter boys, maybe fifteen years old, were standing over him. One of them was holding a short fighting stick. When Jace charged at them, they panicked and ran out of the room.

Jace surprised himself by letting them leave. He knelt on the ground next to his friend as Alec sat up, his hand pressed to the back of his head. Those bastards had snuck up from behind, where he couldn’t see them in his peripheral vision. They had taken advantage of him not being able to hear them and they had hit him on the back of the head…everyone knew that headshots were against the rules in training. But this wasn’t training, this was an attack. Jace saw red for a second, but he made himself take a breath. “YOU OK?” he asked.

“I’M FINE.” Alec replied. But as he brought his right hand to his chest for the sign, they both noticed blood on his fingertips. Jace grasped the back of Alec’s neck gently and looked, seeing blood in his dark hair. He surprised himself again by not leaving the room to find the assholes that had done this. Instead, he took out his stele and carefully drew an _iratze_ on Alec’s arm.

Jace sat cross-legged in front of his friend. How it felt to see Alec hurt… Jace had made his decision.

“YOU BECOME MY _PARABATAI_?” he asked. The sign for _Parabatai_ was unique to the Shadowhunter dialect of ASL. It was a combination of the sign for partner and a movement pattern in the shape of the _Parabatai_ rune. 

Alec looked stunned. Finally, he responded, “YOU JOKING?”

Jace shook his head, saddened by his friend’s disbelief. “I WANT BECOME YOUR _PARABATAI_. YOU WANT?”

Slowly, Alec nodded.

Jace grinned and helped his friend back to his feet.

Together they would be unstoppable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I grappled with the decision to include ASL grammar or English grammar when typing out what they were signing. I decided to include ASL grammar because I think it's important for people to know that ASL is not Signed Exact English... For example, in ASL the word order is different and there are no articles (e.g., "a", "the"). 
> 
> However, like I mentioned before, I am not a fluent signer. If you are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, CODA, interpreter - please correct any mistakes I make in ASL grammar. (I know I'm bending the rules a bit by saying "I'm" instead of "I", but I'll try to be consistent). 
> 
> I hope you folks are enjoying this story - please leave me some feedback on what you like / don't like, or even some perspectives / situations you'd like to see written in this AU.


	4. Magnus Meets Alec

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clary has questions for Magnus Bane...and Alec has a crush.

Unsurprisingly, attending a Downworlder party did not qualify as Clave business, so Alec was left without an interpreter. “Can we just bring the interpreter along?” Clary asked Jace. Alec watched Jace’s mouth as he replied, “No…the Institute pays him for Clave business.” Alec rolled his eyes and looked away, not bothering to attend to the rest of their conversation. There was so much that Clary didn’t understand.

Yet, here they were, going on yet another secret mission to help her. Alec didn’t like to break rules, but Clary was important to Jace and Jace was important to Alec. So, he agreed to come along, if only just to keep his _Parabatai_ out of trouble.

The party was held at the residence of Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. As the Head of the Institute, Alec knew of Magnus Bane’s reputation – the warlock was incredibly powerful.

And he had a gigantic apartment. There was barely any furniture filling the open space, except for a few chairs and the bar. The room was filled with people and the lights were turned down low, soft purple and red occasionally drifting across the walls and glinting off of vampire fangs and warlock marks. Alec couldn’t hear the music, but he could feel the vibrations through the soles of his boots.

As someone who relied primarily on sight and touch, this environment had Alec feeling quite lost and frustrated. He kept thinking that if they were ambushed, he wouldn’t be able to see it coming at all, and that put him on edge. So, he spent his energy surveying the room, looking for threats. It wasn’t as if he could contribute to the conversation much, anyway. Clary and her mundane friend were constantly turning their faces away or covering their mouths, making lipreading even more difficult. And he hated it when Jace or Isabelle had to interpret for him.

He felt a hand on his forearm and turned to see Jace looking at him, concerned. “YOU OK?” Jace asked.

Alec sighed and nodded. He noticed Clary and her mundane friend staring at him as if they just remembered he was there. Isabelle was flirting with a Seelie a few feet away. Alec didn’t want to be a part of this anymore. “I GO GET DRINK.” He turned away from Jace’s concerned expression and moved through the crowd toward the bar.

He placed himself with his back against the wall, the bar to his right. A young werewolf with curly hair was preparing drinks, the scars on her neck slightly reflective in the low light. Alec crossed his arms and scanned the dance floor, regularly glancing back at Jace and Isabelle to make sure they were alright.

Distracted by the thumping music, the lights, and the crowd, Alec didn’t sense someone approaching him until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly, uncrossing his arms and turning to the stranger.

The man was slightly shorter than him, with perfectly styled dark hair and perfect skin. His almond-shaped eyes were framed by gold sparkles and his smile was just as bright. Alec’s breath caught in his chest for a second. Then, he realized that the man was waiting expectantly; he had probably asked him a question.

For a moment, Alec felt a pang of disappointment because he knew that whatever chance he had of talking with this attractive man would be gone in a few seconds. He could attempt to lipread or even take out the notepad and pen he had in his pocket…but he doubted the man thought he was interesting enough to warrant that kind of effort. Alec smiled apologetically and signed, “SORRY, I CAN’T SPEAK ENGLISH.” He learned quickly as a child that it didn’t matter what he said to non-signers…they got the point.

Alec waited for the usual reaction – an awkward smile and an awkward exit, if he was lucky – but it didn’t happen. Instead, the man laughed. “Oh,” his lips said. And then his hands began to move fluidly. “SORRY. MY NAME MAGNUS BANE. YOUR NAME WHAT?”

Alec stared at him in wonderment. Not only was this the man they had come here for, the High Warlock of Brooklyn…but he was fluent in ASL? Alec felt his hands stutter a bit as he formulated a response, trying not to lose his composure entirely. “I’M ALEC LIGHTWOOD, BUT YOU CALL ME ALEC.”

Magnus repeated the name sign with a smile. He studied Alec’s face for a moment, grinning. “INSTITUTE LEADER? YOU VERY HANDSOME. BEFORE I THINK INSTITUTE LEADER OLD, BORING. BUT NOW…”

Alec blushed and changed the subject frantically, not sure what to do with the way his body was reacting. “YOU LEARN SIGN WHERE?”

Magnus told him that he had a Deaf best friend (also a warlock), but they had a falling out about 50 years ago. Magnus apologized to Alec, saying his signing was a bit rusty.

Alec shook his head. “NO, YOU GOOD! I’M HAPPY TALKING WITH SOMEONE HERE.”

Magnus replied with a wink. “I'M VERY HAPPY TALKING WITH YOU, SHADOWHUNTER HANDSOME.” This made Alec blush again, but before he could muster the courage to flirt back, Clary and Jace interrupted.

Magnus looked toward Clary, who was probably demanding a lot of answers from him, and Alec thought he saw an expression of irritation cross his beautiful face. Was he annoyed that they had been interrupted?

Alec resigned himself to once again being on the peripheral of a conversation, knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep up by lipreading. However, Magnus surprised all of them by responding not only in English but signing at the same time. Even though his ASL wasn’t perfect (it was difficult to juggle two different grammar structures at the same time), Alec could understand what they were speaking about. Alec felt his ears get warm again. Even though Magnus wasn’t even talking to him, the warlock was making him feel quite special.

Alec noticed Jace glancing over at him, eyebrow raised, lips turned into a bit of a smirk. Alec shook his head dismissively, but he was sure that Jace could feel his beating heart through their _Parabatai_ bond.

Magnus somehow knew Clary, but he wouldn’t tell them about in a public space. He beckoned Clary to follow him to another room so they could talk. However, before he left, he turned back to Alec and made eye contact with him. With a flick of his fingers and a flash of blue light, a piece of paper appeared. He placed it in Alec’s hand, letting the touch linger. Then he walked backwards to follow Clary. “TEXT ME,” he signed and disappeared into the crowd.

Alec put the paper carefully in his pocket and took a moment to catch his breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I am not fluent in ASL. If you are and you notice my ASL grammar is off, please correct me.
> 
> I hope you're enjoying this story! Feel free to suggest any ideas you would like to see in this universe.


	5. On a Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Valentine on the loose, it's all hands on deck. Even though Alec is Head of the Institute, he still has to go on a mission or two.

Ever since becoming the Head of the Institute, Alec hadn’t gone on many missions. It’s not as if he wasn’t a good fighter – he was, actually, one of the best. However, his goals and strengths had always aligned with diplomacy. Knowing how it felt to face systemic barriers because of his deafness, he made it his life’s goal to move up in the Clave’s ranks, opening doors for Shadowhunter minorities of all kinds. When he was younger his classmates ridiculed him, but it became more difficult for them to put him down. Alec got the best marks in all his classes, graduating with honours. Working together with Jace, the _Parabatai_ were experts at strategy and combat. These factors, combined with Alec’s calm yet passionate way of debating and navigating political issues, allowed him to become the youngest Head of the Institute in America at 18 years old.

Alec didn’t plan on stopping until he held the position of Inquisitor.

However, the world was currently in a state of upheaval, and they needed every soldier out on the field to battle Valentine’s growing underground army. Alec had made the call himself, instructing every administrator, medic, and weapons-master alike to suit up and join the mission rotation. Of course, there were always at least a few Shadowhunters in the Institute, just in case it was attacked. This was mainly for show, however, because Alec was certain that no unwelcome guest would be able to get through the wards. They were put up by a very capable warlock, after all.

And it was that capable warlock, Magnus Bane, that Alec was trying very hard not to think about as he followed Jace, Isabelle, and Clary down the glittering city streets. He had to remain focused and not let his mind wander to thoughts of his incredibly handsome, funny, sweet boyfriend.

Alec shook his head and focused on the cold feeling of the rain falling on his head and shoulders. Those thoughts were for later. Now, he needed to think about how he could best flank the group during their ambush, paying special attention to Clary Fray, who had only been training for a few months. Secretly, he thought that bringing her along was more of a risk than it was an advantage, but he would be a hypocrite if he instructed the librarian to go out and fight while telling Clary to stay inside. Also, Jace would probably push him down a flight of stairs if he said anything unkind about Clary.

Jace and Alec’s relationship had felt a little strained since Clary had shaken up everyone’s life. Jace was consistently putting himself at risk for this woman, not caring about the consequences. But consequences were Alec’s specialty, and he was trying his best to keep everyone in line and safe.

So he compromised, letting her out in the field but ensuring that she was always assigned to missions with them – Alec, Jace, and Isabelle…one of the most effective teams in the Institute.

They had received a tip that a hoard of Valentine’s demon experiments was nesting in an abandoned bowling alley across the city. Likely, these demons had only just hatched, still growing, so this was the optimal time to strike and eradicate them. Isabelle had fashioned one of her inventions for the occasion – a bomb the size of a golf ball that exploded upon the activation of one of her runes. They were going to blow up the centre of the nest and pick off any survivors.

The group was a few blocks away, dodging mundanes and puddles. The rain decreased vision and traction, but that wouldn’t be as much of an issue once they got inside the building. However, it did mean that Alec had to speed up to be within eyesight of his siblings.

“READY?” he asked Isabelle before wiping his wet hair out of his eyes. He needed a haircut. Isabelle nodded, brandishing her invention with a grin.

Alec repeated the question to Jace and Clary, and they both nodded. Clary had picked up a few signs so far, and READY was one of them (along with STOP, GO, and WAIT). Alec knew that Clary wasn’t his biggest fan, but it was slightly frustrating that she only bothered to learn signs that related directly to missions. Well, she had a lot on her mind.

“YOU CAREFUL THERE,” Alec said, pointing to the roof of the building, “SLIPPERY.”

“I KNOW,” Isabelle replied, throwing her wet braid over her shoulder, “I’M CAREFUL ALWAYS.” With that, she bounded over to the dumpsters, climbed on top, activated her rune, and leapt to the top of the bowling alley. Alec was always impressed by his sister. She did everything he and Jace did, except in boots with platform heels.

The three of them watched as Isabelle used her _stele_ to cut out a small hole in a ceiling window. Then, she made a big show of dropping the silver ball before intentionally sliding across the roof and landing in the alley once more. Alec lifted the bottom of his soaking wet shirt, activating the Vision rune on his stomach. Jace and Isabelle activated theirs, but they had to wait for Jace to draw one on Clary’s upper arm. Great, this would be her first time fighting with the Vision rune activated, Alec thought with irritation.

Once they were all ready, Alec nodded to Isabelle and she activated the small rune she had drawn on her collarbone this morning.

The explosion must have been loud because Jace, Isabelle, and Clary crouched for a moment, covering their ears. Alec, instead, covered his eyes and charged forward, jumping through the broken windows and into the smoke-filled building. The rest of the group followed close behind him.

The bowling alley smelled of foul, charred flesh, and there were small fires flickering slightly as the rain came down through the crater in the ceiling. The Vision rune allowed for him to see through the smoke more effectively, but it was still hazy. Alec reached down to his hip and activated his _Parabatai_ rune.

It was one of the first things they had tried after becoming _Parabatai_ as teenagers – Jace wanted to see if he could share his hearing with Alec. It wasn’t possible, of course, because a _Parabatai_ connection could only enhance, not create. However, they found that this connection sharpened both of their senses. Although Alec couldn’t share Jace’s hearing, he could sense when Jace had heard something…and that worked just as well in the battlefield.

Arrow drawn and senses on full alert, Alec was the first to kill one of the surviving demons. It was soon followed by about a dozen others, and the group picked them off one-by-one. Alec made sure to keep an eye on Clary in particular as she put her rudimentary fighting skills to use. Two demons would have pounced on her if Alec hadn’t shot them down, but he made up his mind not to tell her about those – let her have some confidence from this mission.

Once the smoke cleared and both Jace and Isabelle had scoured the place for any survivors, Alec beckoned them out of the building, which looked like it was ready to collapse. “GOOD JOB, TEAM,” he said once they were out on the sidewalk once more, “WE GO HOME.”

Alec was surprised when Jace chose to walk next to him instead of Clary. His face was smeared grey from the ash, and Alec realized he probably looked the same.

“HOW’S MAGNUS?” Jace asked. Magnus’s name sign was the M hand shape moving in a small circle next to his eyes. It was given to him by his friend before, and Alec wasn’t certain of the meaning behind it, although he did have a hunch that it had something to do with his warlock mark. But Alec hadn’t seen his mark yet.

“GOOD.” Alec debated stopping there and letting the conversation be washed away by the rain. But then he thought about how rare it was to be able to talk to his brother privately, and he decided to take advantage of that. “I THINK…I THINK I WILL TELL PARENTS.”

Jace raised his eyebrows. “THEY WILL NOT BE HAPPY.”

Alec shrugged. “I’M DEAF. I’M GAY. DATING DOWNWORLDER, WHY NOT?” Jace laughed.

“MAGNUS SPECIAL, YES?”

“MAGNUS…” Alec pushed his wet hair out of his eyes, stepping out of the way of a nearby mundane. “I LIKE HIM LOTS. HE…IMPORTANT.”

“YOU'RE HAPPY.” It wasn’t a question.

Alec nodded, trying not to smile. “WHEN I’M WITH HIM, I FEEL SAFE. I FEEL EXCITED.” He looked at his _Parabatai_ and felt his resolve soften a bit. “I TALK BAD ABOUT CLARY. I’M SORRY.”

Jace’s resolve also softened. “THANKS. I’M SORRY I NOT SUPPORT YOU.” Alec clasped him on the shoulder.

They didn’t speak any more until they got to the Institute, once again comfortable with each other’s presence.

Alec said goodnight to his siblings, and they went their separate ways, Jace walking with Clary and Isabelle walking alone…all of them leaving wet and muddy footprints on the Institute floor. Alec entered his office and approached his desk. He wrote an apologetic note to the janitor and sent it via fire message. Then, he opened a drawer to retrieve his cell phone. On his lock screen was a notification of two messages from Magnus.

_Hi, handsome. Hope your mission goes well!_

_Text me when you are once again safe and sound. Let’s do dinner._

Alec texted back, knowing very well that the most they were going to do tonight was cuddle on the couch at Magnus’s place. Once Magnus saw him soaked to the bone, covered in ash, he wasn’t going to want to go anywhere except a place with a hot shower and a blanket. Alec had never let himself be taken care of before, and it felt both comforting and thrilling at the same time.

It seemed that there were going to be many ‘firsts’ with Magnus. Alec couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your kind words so far, I really appreciate it. 
> 
> Let me know if there are any situations / perspectives you would like to see written in this AU - I welcome the inspiration!


	6. Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus go to a club and have a little fun.

Alec didn’t like to party. Magnus could tell this from the moment they met. Even when they went on dates at the bar, the Shadowhunter would only have a few drinks, retaining his composure throughout. Magnus respected that, he really did, but he also wanted his boyfriend to let loose and have a little fun. 

Magnus asked him about it one night and found out that it wasn’t the inebriation that deterred Alec, it was the publicity. Alec was quite young for a Head of the Institute and he had plans to become Inquisitor. He didn’t want to take the chance of someone having documentation of him drunk at a Downworlder party, making out with his boyfriend. 

Magnus raised his eyebrow at that, because he hadn’t said anything about making out. 

The Warlock proposed a compromise. What if they could go out and get drunk in a place with very low risk of them being spotted?

And that’s how the couple ended up in a bar in Germany on a Thursday night. 

Alec’s new drink of choice was a rum and coke, sweet and traditional and intoxicating – just like him. Magnus enjoyed watching his cheeks get red and his hands get clumsy as he became more and more buzzed. Magnus was getting drunk off of martinis, as usual. The two of them spent a considerable amount of time sitting very close together on one of the club’s couches, telling stories and laughing. Magnus appreciated that, no matter how loud the music was, it didn’t impact their conversation…and his voice wouldn’t be hoarse by the end of the night.

Magnus was absolutely enamoured by Alec, delighted by how they could free themselves of the worry of being seen and simply enjoy each other’s company. Small crinkles appeared next to Alec’s dark eyes whenever he smiled – a real smile, not his diplomat’s smile. Magnus set his hand above his boyfriend’s knee and impulsively placed a gentle kiss over the rune on his neck. He felt Alec shiver, and looked up to see the young man’s eyes glancing around the room. Then, he relaxed and met Magnus’s gaze once more. 

Before Magnus could pull away, he was captured by a passionate kiss. Alec had never kissed him on the mouth in public before, and Magnus was embarrassed by how significantly this display was affecting him. 

There was no doubt about it, he had fallen for this Shadowhunter, as swiftly and dangerously as an avalanche. 

Magnus hadn’t let himself care for someone like this in a long time, protecting his heart after a series of volatile breakups. But there was something about Alec that Magnus couldn’t resist. The man was loyal, stubborn, caring, clever. Magnus had known many people in his considerable lifetime, but no one quite like Alec. 

Magnus had never dated a Shadowhunter before. Being a part of their routines and customs was something to get used to, but Magnus was learning a lot. It was difficult for him to know his place in this world, considering that he wore many hats – High Warlock, ally, healer, informant, boyfriend. A few months ago, Alec told his parents about their relationship, and the energy was tense in the Institute for a few weeks. After some processing time, the Lightwoods showed support for their son, and Magnus was struck by just how brave and inspiring his boyfriend was. 

Magnus had also never dated a Deaf person before. He was so grateful to his friend Josephine, who had taught him ASL years ago. Without her, he wouldn’t have been able to flirt with Alec at his house party six months ago, and he wouldn’t be in this beautiful relationship now. Magnus was very impressed by how Alec overcame various barriers in his life. Shadowhunters weren’t very forgiving to those they considered weak, but Alec proved that he was just as strong and capable as any of them. No one could deny Alec’s capability, no matter how hard they tried. 

Yes, Magnus was falling for him. Alec Lightwood was just about as intoxicating as the alcohol, and Magnus felt lightheaded as they kissed on the couch. It was so freeing to not have to worry about being recognized. They were just another couple. 

It took a lot of effort, but Magnus pulled away from the kiss, running his fingers through Alec’s dark hair and smiling. Alec smiled back blindingly. His strong hands were gently holding onto the front of Magnus’s silk shirt. Even though he loved the feeling of those strong hands on his body, Magnus pulled back so he could sign. “YOU DANCE WITH ME?” he asked, and Alec’s eyebrows came together in a bit of a frown – confused more than upset. 

“I CAN’T DANCE,” he replied. 

“I WILL HELP,” Magnus offered. He didn’t move from the couch, letting the decision rest entirely with his partner. 

Alec thought for a few moments, scanning the crowd. Then, he set his jaw and stood up in a fluid motion, offering his hand to Magnus. The Warlock stood as well, but they didn’t move into the crowd, choosing instead to stay close to the wall where there were less people. 

Magnus rested his arms around Alec’s neck, and Alec placed his hands on Magnus’s waist. The Shadowhunter had a concentrated look on his face, eyebrows slightly furrowed. The song wasn’t meant for this kind of dancing, but it didn’t matter. Magnus cast a simple spell, snapping his fingers. For his ears alone, the noise of the club dimmed to a low hum, and Magnus concentrated on the vibrations of the music. 

They moved together slowly, enjoying their points of connection. Alec’s shoulders relaxed and he placed his forehead against Magnus’s. They slow-danced to house music for a few songs, until Magnus moved his hands down to Alec’s waist as well. He moved Alec’s hips to match the vibrations, adding more energy to their dance. Alec was blushing but smiling, letting Magnus move him to the beat of the music. By the end of the night, they were spinning each other and dancing in a way that somewhat matched the people around them. 

Watching Alec’s strong shoulders and smiling face under the flashing lights, Magnus felt a surge of something both comforting and terrifying. 

He was in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please suggest some prompts for this universe - I only have two more chapters planned out. 
> 
> Thanks again for your encouraging comments! I'm glad you're enjoying it!


	7. First Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus get married and adopt a baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I make the rules in this AU and I decided that Ragnor Fell and Max Lightwood are alive.

Magnus had been in a plethora of romantic relationships in his life. He had loved and lost more times than he could count, and he told himself he wouldn’t take any big steps with anyone – for protection.

Magnus had been proposed to at least fifty times before, but he had only said yes to one person. Alexander Lightwood, a mortal Shadowhunter who had stolen Magnus’s heart. Magnus’s immortal friends were astounded when he sent them their wedding invitations. 

“Magnus Bane,” Ragnor Fell exclaimed, eyebrows raised, “I distinctly remember you brutally _ridiculing_ me at my bachelor party three hundred years ago. And I was marrying a seelie!” Although seelies couldn’t lie, they evidently could cheat, and that marriage had lasted barely fifteen years. “And now here you are, stopping by for tea to tell me that you are getting married to a goddamn Shadowhunter?”

Magnus shrugged, refusing to look ashamed of himself, even though he did feel a little bad for the words he’d said to his friend in the past. Ragnor continued, “Is the wedding going to happen in an Institute? Are Downworlders even allowed to attend?”

“Of course Downworlders are allowed to attend,” Magnus snapped. “And I’ll be hosting the ceremony at my flat. Which you would know if you actually read your invitation.”

Ragnor opened the envelope, read the gold card, and then placed it on his kitchen table. “I’ll be there, Magnus,” he said seriously, the teasing gone. “Can I ask you…what is so special about this Shadowhunter?”

“Alec is…” Magnus paused, attempting to put his warm, whirling feelings into words, “the exception to everything I thought I knew. I’ve been in love before, but this is…what I’ve been waiting for, I think.”

Ragnor put his hand on top of his friend’s, smiling. “I’m happy for you, Magnus. I’m sure the wedding will be fantastic.”

And it was. Magnus decorated the flat with white and gold, the living room arranged to comfortably seat their small group of friends and family. Alec and Magnus were both wearing gorgeous white and gold suits. Everyone’s speeches were in ASL, but they also hired an interpreter for their friends who were not fluent. Magnus didn’t think he had ever felt happier than when he kissed Alec for the first time as his husband.

When Alec first brought up the idea of having children, Magnus didn’t know how to respond. He had promised himself centuries ago that he would never start a family, but Alec once again had him second-guessing himself. They had been happily married for five years, and Magnus felt a flutter of excitement when he thought of them being parents.

After quite a few discussions, they started the adoption process. It took three long months of waiting and preparing, but all of their anxieties melted away when they were finally able to hold their son.

He was a beautiful warlock boy, six months old, with a tiny nose and chubby arms. He had blue skin and two small horns poking out of his forehead. His name was Max, and they debated choosing a new name, but ultimately decided that it suited him too well. Fifteen-year-old Max Lightwood thought it was great that his new nephew had the same name as him. In fact, everyone in Alec’s family adored baby Max the moment they saw him. It warmed Magnus’s heart to see a group of Shadowhunters coo over a warlock baby.

But nothing made Magnus feel more overwhelmed and happier than seeing Alec interact with their son. Alec was meant to be a dad. He played with Max sweetly and gently, holding his little hands and feet. He constantly made sure the baby was as safe as possible, sometimes taking him to work when Magnus had to travel.

Max Lightwood-Bane was being raised as bilingual. Magnus spoke English to him and both parents signed to him. It was delightful to listen to Max playing with sounds and watch him babble with his hands at the same time. “HE SMARTEST BABY,” Alec bragged to Magnus one night after putting Max to bed with an ASL story. “OTHER BABIES KNOW ONLY ONE LANGUAGE. HE LEARN…8 LANGUAGES EASY.”

“I DON’T THINK WE TEACH HIM 8 LANGUAGES,” Magnus replied, laughing, “WE HAVE NO TIME.”

Max’s first sign happened a few months before his first spoken word. He was nine months old and always crawling around the flat looking for toys (or household objects) to play with. His magic was developing too, and sometimes purple sparks would flicker on his fingertips when he was excited. Magnus was playing with Max on the carpet, making illusions of various animals and talking about them. The giraffe disappeared in a gentle puff of smoke when Magnus heard keys jingling outside. Max heard it too and looked over to the door. When Alec stepped into their home, taking off his jacket and smiling, Max brought his hand up to his forehead: “DAD.”

For a moment, Alec froze, and then he laughed in delight, repeating the sign. “YES, I’M DAD. DAD.” He scooped Max up in his arms and tossed him in the air a little. Max giggled. Magnus thought his heart would burst.

This little family of his…it was worth the wait.


	8. Maia Meets Max

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maia meets a sweet warlock while bartending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> volunteer_of_hufflepuff requested Maia’s perspective and jessmy requested Alec interacting with other Downworlders, so here’s this chapter!

As far as events go, birthday parties weren’t so bad. The worst events to bartend were bachelor parties and bachelorette parties. Those groups drank with a purpose and acted as if they were the main characters in everyone’s story. Also, the drunker they got and the more drama that ensued…the worse they tipped.

So, since Maia had to bartend tonight, she wasn’t too upset at the group of young people taking over the karaoke mic. They were freshly twenty-one and too socially anxious to tip anyone poorly.

As the owner and manager of Lunar Eclipse, Maia didn’t bartend much anymore. However, two of tonight’s staff were home with the flu and the part-time worker was unable to find childcare in time. So, Maia reminisced on her younger years as she kept busy, pouring drinks, cleaning glasses, and chatting with patrons.

It wasn’t too difficult to figure out that the birthday girl was the seelie. She had one of those cheap ribbons wrapped around her waist like a belt and her friends took turns buying her drinks. This young group consisted of two werewolves, three warlocks, and two seelies. They liked to sing pop songs and dance together on the stage. It was a sweet group of young Downworlders, and Maia kept an eye out for them throughout her shift, ready to step in if someone bothered them.

Their singing and dancing got worse and worse as the night went on, and soon they were stumbling out to taxis one-by-one as their low alcohol tolerance betrayed them. The werewolves, both with a bit of a hippy aesthetic, held hands as they left together. One seelie supported one of the warlocks out to the back alley so he could throw up, and they went home soon after. As it approached 2:00am and the bar was almost empty, there were only three people left from the birthday party.

The two warlocks and the birthday girl were sprawled in one of the booths, karaoke forgotten. Maia had seen this kind of party enough times to know that they were at the point where they were either picking a fight or talking about how much they loved each other. Either way, it ended in tears.

“Okay well this was _my_ party, not yours!” the birthday girl said, waving her hands dramatically. So, they had chosen the fight option.

Maia, sweeping a broken glass off the floor, moved closer in case she needed to intervene.

“I’m not talking about your birthday party. I’m just saying…I don’t think that - that you guys even like my other friends,” one of the young warlocks slurred. He had blue skin and small, dark horns coming out of his forehead.

The other warlock, a girl with sharp teeth like a shark, interrupted. “Stop, stop, stop. It’s not, like…it’s not a…discrim-discrimination thing. It’s just, like, they’re not that fun, you know?”

“No, they’re fun! You guys just don’t bother taking some friggin’ time to get to know them!”

The seelie rolled her eyes and stumbled out of the booth, pulling the female warlock by the arm. “Come on, Sarah, we’re going. This is my birthday and I don’t want to be here anymore with Max doing his whole…thing.” She flipped him off and the two girls left the bar.

Maia felt bad for the young warlock they had left behind. His shoulders were hunched in his leather jacket and he looked like he was about to cry. Maia walked to empty her dustpan into the garbage. When she turned around, he was sitting at the bar, swaying a bit. “I’ll have another rum and coke,” he said to her.

Maia smiled and shook her head. “I don’t think so, kid. You’ve had enough for tonight.” He didn’t argue, choosing instead to eat some of the pretzels in the small bowl in front of him. His skin was a paler blue than it had been before, and his eyelids kept closing for a few seconds at a time, as if he were about to fall asleep. “Alright, I’m calling a cab for you,” Maia decided.

He shook his head. “No, not a cab.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t focus enough to make a glamour and I dunno what the cab driver is gonna do when he sees all this,” he gestured to his face.

“Okay,” Maia replied, “Who can I call instead? Your parents?”

He sighed. “Yeah, my dad will come get me.” He took his cell phone out of his pocket and unlocked the screen, but his fingers fumbled over the keyboard and Maia was sure the text would be absolute nonsense.

She extended her hand. “Give it to me, I’ll call him.”

The young man slid his phone across the bar to her. “Fine. But you gotta text him. Can’t call him.”

Maia was slightly confused but didn’t ask questions. She deleted the jumbled mess of a text he had started and wrote her own: _Hello. I am the bartender at Lunar Eclipse. Your son is fine, but he needs a ride home. Can you pick him up?_

A few seconds later, there was a concise reply from “Dad”: _Thank you. I’ll be right there._

“He’s on his way.” Maia handed the kid his phone back. “So, what’s your name?”

“I’m Max,” he reached his hand out across the bar and Maia shook it even though he had pretzel dust on his fingers.

“Nice to meet you, Max. My name is Maia.”

“Maia. Nice.”

She grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the tap, placing it in front of him. He slowly sipped it.

“So, what happened with your friends?”

Max’s brow furrowed. “I dunno. I love them but they can be kinda…narrow-minded sometimes.” He took another sip of water and then explained, gesturing with his hands. “So, I basically have two different friend groups, right? I’ve got these friends, Downworlder friends, and I also have Shadowhunter friends.” Maia raised her eyebrows, but Max didn’t notice. “And I love them all but they don’t want to hang out with each other, no matter how hard I try to just…” he brought his hands together, interlacing his fingers in front of his eyes.

Maia tried to keep her own opinions out of her response. “Do the Shadowhunter friends want to spend time with your Downworlder friends?”

“You know what, yeah! They’re super psyched about it. But then I invite everyone out and my Downworlder friends bail!” Max was getting a little worked up, but Maia was just glad that he wasn’t slumped over in her bowl of pretzels.

“That sucks, dude,” she said sympathetically. “But I’m sure your friends are just nervous. It’s not easy to trust Shadowhunters when you haven’t met any good ones.” Max looked up at her, his dark eyes a little guarded. Maia realized how that had sounded, so she continued. “And I’ve met lots of great Shadowhunters. But…before I got to know them, it was hard to let my guard down.”

“Yeah…but, no offence, you grew up in a different time,” Max argued, “I was raised in one of the most progressive Institutes around. But my Downworlder friends won’t even give them a chance.”

Wait, did this warlock say he was raised in an Institute? Before Maia could respond, the door chimed, and someone walked in.

Maia looked up to see a middle-aged Shadowhunter approaching the bar. His face was very familiar to her, but for a moment she couldn’t place him. Then, Max stood up from the stool and stumbled over to give the man a hug. Oh…this Shadowhunter was his dad.

When they started talking, Maia realized who he was. Instead of speaking, Max and this man were using sign language. Maia felt ridiculous that she hadn’t recognized him – how had she not seen that huge rune on the side of his neck? This was Consul Lightwood, an influential Deaf Shadowhunter and Magnus Bane’s husband…but she had known him as Alec. It had been almost twenty years since she had last seen him.

She didn’t understand what they were saying, but Maia could appreciate the gentle yet firm way in which Alec spoke to his son. There was so much love in his eyes as he tousled Max’s dark hair. Maia thought about how infatuated Magnus Bane had been with this Shadowhunter when he was younger.

Now that she knew who Max’s parents were, she could recognize the family resemblance in the way the young man talked and the way he held himself. He was a stubborn, sweet kid, attempting to navigate the combination of two cultures. Maia hoped his friends figured things out soon.

Alec looked up and met her eyes. Recognizing her, he grinned. She winked back at him. With his son tucked sleepily into his left side, Alec brought his hand up to and away from his mouth. Maia knew enough basic ASL to recognize the sign for “THANK YOU,” but she didn’t know enough to sign “YOU’RE WELCOME.” Instead, she nodded.

They might have attempted to work through a conversation through texting or writing, but Max interrupted, almost throwing up on Alec’s leather jacket. Alec turned to Maia, looking at her apologetically.

Maia laughed. “Raincheck,” she said, noticing how Alec’s eyes focused on her mouth. He nodded and then led his son out of the bar, signing to him one-handed.

Maia smiled to herself as she wiped down the bar, reminiscing on memories from 20 years ago. Who would’ve thought that that she would run into Magnus Bane’s and Alec Lightwood’s warlock son. After locking up the bar, she took out her phone and opened up a new text message.

_Hi Simon. Want to meet up for coffee sometime?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't mind if the chapters in this AU are out of chronological order, so feel free to suggest a prompt that could fit anywhere in the timeline! 
> 
> Thank you so much for your suggestions and your supportive comments.


	9. In the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team splits up during a mission. Isabelle and Alec are trapped in the dark and, for once, it's Isabelle's turn to protect her brother.

Snarling and clambering down the back alley, the two demons suddenly split up, one of them running toward the subway station and the other jumping through the living room window of someone’s house. Jace looked over to their leader and Alec swiftly pointed, sending Jace and Clary toward the subway while he and Isabelle turned toward the house.

It was easier to follow the demon through the window rather than waste time breaking down the door. They stepped over the shards of glass on the carpet, looking around the dark living room cautiously. “PEOPLE HERE?” Alec asked his sister, signing around the seraph blade he held in his right hand.

Isabelle listened carefully for any noises upstairs but heard nothing except for the whistling of the wind through the broken window. She shook her head, relieved that they wouldn’t have to worry about the safety of mundanes while trying to hunt down their prey.

Kravyad demons were the size of small horses. They had dark, leathery skin and giant mouths full of long, sharp teeth. Somehow, three of them had appeared in a mundane fast food restaurant. Unfortunately, one person had already been killed before Isabelle, Alec, Jace, and Clary had arrived. They had managed to kill one of the demons but the other two escaped through the kitchen.

So, here they were, trespassing in someone’s house while Jace and Clary ran through the subway.

Alec and Isabelle followed the claw marks on the carpet and floor, and they ended up standing in front of a closed door. “I HEAR IT,” Isabelle told her brother, “THE BASEMENT.” The demon was grunting and snarling, and its claws were scraping on the cement floor below. Alec nodded.

Isabelle opened the door, surprised at how heavy it was. The basement was very dark, touched faintly by the dim light seeping into the house from the street lamps. Still standing at the top of the stairs, whip at the ready, Isabelle reached around the doorframe and flicked the light switch. Nothing happened. Isabelle reached for her stele and activated her Sight rune. Alec did the same.

Isabelle beckoned her brother and together they stepped quietly down the stairs, ready to strike. The demon, not very perceptive, only realized they were there by the time they reached the bottom of the stairs. It charged at them, teeth gnashing, and the Lightwood siblings swiftly dodged out of the way. The Kravyad demon barrelled into the wall behind them, causing the whole wall to shake upon impact.

The demon turned to them, blinking its red eyes and shaking its head. Before the Lightwoods could attack it, the demon opened its cavernous mouth. Thick, black smoke leaked out between its glistening teeth. Isabelle brought her shirt up over her mouth with her free hand. Poison? Suddenly, they were plunged into darkness. After a moment of stunned confusion, Isabelle realized the demon had filled the room not with poison, but with a cloaking substance. Her Sight rune couldn't break through it. She couldn't see anything except for pitch black. She heard a sharp intake of breath and realized –

_Shit, Alec!_

Without his vision, Alec wouldn’t be able to know where the demon was. Isabelle had to kill this thing – and quickly.

She tried not to let herself get worked up with worry. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds in the room, focusing. She knew her brother was to her right. She could hear his heavy, panicked breathing. Her heart nearly stopped when she heard the soft but sharp sound of his weapon being placed carefully on the ground. What was Alec doing?

The Kravyad demon was to her left, feet scuffling and teeth gnashing as it recovered from its impact with the wall. Isabelle approached and snapped her whip toward the demon, feeling it cut through leathery skin. The demon shrieked and attacked.

She had done blindfolded training exercises previously but being in this situation was infinitely more terrifying. This demon was huge and unpredictable, and her brother was uncharacteristically vulnerable. Isabelle had never needed to protect Alec in this capacity before. He was so often the one to protect his siblings, and Isabelle never wanted to see him helpless like this again.

She allowed these feelings to fuel her and, when the demon charged, she didn’t hesitate to send out her whip once more. She felt it wrap around some part of the demon and she pulled hard, causing it to stumble and fall. Acting quickly, she pulled a small dagger out of her thigh holster and stabbed forcefully at the source of the snarling sounds.

The demon shrieked again, this time in pain. Isabelle stabbed it a few more times before she felt her enemy fall apart to ash under her hands. Wrapped around nothing but crumbled remains, her whip thudded to the ground. Without its demonic source, the black smoke was slowly dissipating, allowing vague shapes to take form as she looked around the room. 

Alec was still taking in shuddering breaths, obviously trying to calm his panic. Isabelle couldn’t even imagine the helplessness he had been feeling, unable to hear or see anything, not knowing where the demon was and not knowing if she was alright. She approached him, incredibly happy to see his face come into focus. Alec was leaning against the wall, looking at her with unbridled relief. “YOU FINE, THANK ANGEL,” he signed shakily.

Isabelle wanted to shake him, but she hugged him tightly instead. She pulled back and signed furiously, “YOU DROP WEAPON WHY?” He looked away, but she grasped his chin and turned his face back to her. “WHY?”

Alec squared his shoulders, looking at her this time with determination. “I NOT WANT HURT YOU.”

Isabelle felt stunned. Her brother, lacking any sensory input besides pure reflexes, placed his weapon on the ground and left himself defenceless. Alec took the chance of being killed by a demon in order to ensure that he didn’t accidentally stab his sister.

This time she actually did shake him.

“STUPID,” she told him emphatically.

Instead of responding, Alec picked up his seraph blade off of the concrete and sheathed it in his belt. He walked up the steps and Isabelle followed him, seething. She understood why he did what he did. And, later, she would likely empathize with him… What would she have done in his place? But this was not the time for those considerations. She was too busy thinking about how easily and _willingly_ her brother could have died.

Isabelle admired Alec’s selflessness, protectiveness, and stubbornness. They were qualities that made him an incredible leader and the best brother she, Jace, and Max could ask for. However, they were also qualities that concerned her. Isabelle knew it was only a matter of time before Alec got seriously hurt risking his life for someone else. By the Angel, how many enemies did the High Warlock of Brooklyn have? Alec would do anything to keep Magnus safe.

Avoiding these kinds of feelings was one of the reasons Isabelle decided to never have a _Parabatai_. Constantly worrying about someone else’s well-being? It was exhausting.

Isabelle was still angry at Alec when they found Jace and Clary, who were attempting to fix a dent they had made in the side of one of the subway cars. Their Kravyad demon was also a pile of ashes on the concrete. “YOU OKAY?” Jace asked them as they approached.

Alec nodded. “WE’RE FINE. YOU?”

“FINE.”

“PEOPLE DEAD?”

“NO, EVERYONE SAFE.”

“GOOD JOB.” Alec beckoned for everyone to follow him and the group made their way back to the Institute.

Isabelle felt her anger dissipating the more they walked in silence. Slowly her heart began to fill with exasperated affection for her stupid, reckless brother. She picked up speed until she was walking beside Alec and then gently reached for his hand. He didn’t look at her, but his shoulders relaxed a bit, and he squeezed her hand.

They were Lightwoods; stubbornness and protectiveness ran through their blood. Even though it was infuriating and frightening...it also made them a great team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all your lovely comments. Let me know: whose perspective have you enjoyed the most so far?
> 
> P.S. I'm always welcoming prompts for this AU!


	10. Sticks and Stones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lorenzo Rey obviously doesn't have much respect for Alec. Alec tries to be diplomatic about it, but sometimes enough is enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the result of a combination of a few prompts from you delightful readers.
> 
> Ivydragon wanted a situation where people look down on Alec and he tells them off. jessmy requested Alec interacting with Magnus's friends. 
> 
> Here you go, I hope you like it!

Alec’s heart was beating rapidly in his chest. He was a little nervous to be the only Shadowhunter attending a warlock party, but also it was thrilling to walk in on Magnus’s arm. Magnus was also on edge, fighting his irritation with the circumstances and attempting to appear cordial to the new High Warlock of Brooklyn. However, the two of them couldn’t help but smile when they clinked their champagne glasses together. Alec marvelled at the contentment he felt, unafraid to show affection to his boyfriend.

They set their drinks down on a nearby table so they could talk. Magnus pointed out the man who was taking his job. “HE'S LORENZO REY. NEW BROOKLYN WARLOCK LEADER.”

Alec looked him over. Lorenzo was shorter than he expected, with long hair drawn back into a ponytail and dark, judgmental eyes. He kept glancing over at Magnus with an unreadable expression, but when they approached, he pretended to notice them for the first time.

“Magnus! Magnus Bane. You made it.” Lorenzo looked over at Alec, who smiled politely while lipreading, “And you brought a friend.”

Magnus, as he always did in spoken conversations with Alec, signed while he replied. “I wouldn’t miss it. This is my partner, Alec Lightwood.”

Alec extended his hand and Lorenzo shook it, looking him up and down. “Yes, Alec Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute. I’ve heard a lot about you, but…well, you haven’t _heard_ anything about me.” Alec frowned slightly, wondering if he misunderstood. He glanced over at Magnus to see his boyfriend looking a little affronted. No misunderstanding, then.

Alec kept his expression amicable, smile never slipping. He put up his hand in a ‘wait’ gesture and typed his response quickly on his phone. The text-to-voice function was activated with the touch of a button, “ _On the contrary, Mr. Rey, I’ve heard lots about you. I’m looking forward to working with you at the Cabinet meetings._ ”

Lorenzo nodded. “Well, I’m afraid I won’t be as easy on you as the last High Warlock of Brooklyn was. After all, I’m here to serve the warlocks, not portal you around like some sort of glorified shuttle service.”

Alec nodded and typed his response, “ _I wouldn’t have it any other way._ ”

“In that case, I look forward to our first Cabinet meeting.” Lorenzo patted them both on the arm, but Alec couldn’t see what he said next because the warlock turned his face away.

“WHO PICKED HIM?” he asked Magnus once Lorenzo was across the room.

“NO ONE,” Magnus replied, “PEOPLE VOTED. LORENZO VERY CHARMING,” he rolled his eyes a bit while signing the last part.

Alec shook his head in disbelief. Then, he gently rubbed Magnus’s shoulder, causing the warlock to look up at him. His expression was a mix of irritation and sadness. “WARLOCKS WILL MISS YOU,” Alec said, “YOU’RE BETTER THAN HIM.”

Magnus smiled and winked a little while signing, “THANK YOU.”

Then Catarina Loss approached and both of them were happy to see a friendly face. “YOU BRING HIM SO LORENZO ANGRY,” she said to Magnus, laughing. Catarina had also been friends with Josephine, the Deaf warlock, and had also learned ASL years ago. It was because of this (and her incredibly funny and kind personality) that Alec loved visiting with her.

They gossiped about Lorenzo’s unpleasant personality for a little while, but that conversation was cut short when Madzie ran up to them. Madzie was Catarina’s adopted daughter, a five-year-old warlock with a pair of gills and the sweetest smile. She hugged Alec around the neck, and he couldn’t help himself from spinning her around.

When he set her down, he signed slowly to her, “HOW YOU?”

She proudly responded, “GOOD.”

“SAME.”

Catarina had just begun teaching Madzie ASL the last few months, and it just about melted Alec’s heart to see her working so hard. He was also aware of the significance of Catarina’s decision to teach her daughter…this meant that she considered Alec an important part of their life.

Alec looked up to see Magnus and Catarina speaking English to each other; a conversation not meant for him. However, he noticed the soft way Magnus was looking at he and Madzie, and Alec hesitantly allowed himself to hope… Maybe Magnus was having the same daydreams Alec had been having recently – of them with a family of their own.

But that was a conversation for another day.

*****

Cabinet meetings were incredibly frustrating.

There was a simple rule for these meetings that everybody knew – don’t talk over each other. This was because Alec’s interpreter could, obviously, only speak for one person at a time.

Lorenzo Rey wasn’t dense. Alec knew that the warlock was intentionally talking over his Downworlder peers to mess with him. When this happened, the interpreter would attempt to keep up, signing for multiple people, but Alec would inevitably get lost and have to stop the meeting to ask for clarification. Lorenzo was doing this to make him look inept, but Alec was determined to not let it bother him.

However, after four meetings of overlapping conversations and snide remarks, Alec felt like an entire month had been wasted...and he had enough.

“That would be a wonderful idea,” Lorenzo said, “if an amendment to the Accords would actually occur in the lifetime of our fearless leader.” This comment was one of many from the evening. That, combined with the sharp feeling in Alec’s chest as he was reminded of his own mortality, caused him to lift his hand.

“I MAKE THIS CABINET WHY?” he asked. The Downworlders looked at him, confused. “WHY?” he repeated, looking directly at Lorenzo.

“Well, I assume you created it to help you climb your political ladder,” Lorenzo sneered, “We all know the Clave loves to see ‘Downworld involvement’ on a Shadowhunter’s resume…and this is perfect because you get to say you encouraged peace without actually creating any real change. Just how the Clave likes it.”

Luke was about to come to his defence, but Alec stopped him with a look.

Alec took a deep breath, then calmly responded, “YOU’RE RIGHT. LIVING IN DOWNWORLD I DON’T UNDERSTAND.” He watched Lorenzo’s guarded eyes. “BUT DISCRIMINATION I UNDERSTAND. I’M SHADOWHUNTER BUT MY WHOLE LIFE I MUST FIGHT. I’M GAY. I’M DEAF. EVERYONE THINK I DON’T BELONG.”

He looked at each of the Downworld leaders around the table, watching their eyes dart between him and his interpreter as they listened. “FEELING TRAPPED, UNDERESTIMATED…I UNDERSTAND. AND I UNDERSTAND CLAVE.

“I MAKE THIS CABINET BECAUSE I WANT HELP YOU. YOU DESERVE BETTER. WE CAN MAKE CHANGE.” Alec looked back at Lorenzo and allowed his frustration to show on his face. “BUT IF YOU CONTINUE INTERRUPTING, STOPPING PROGRESS…WE CAN’T MAKE CHANGE.” Lorenzo looked away dismissively, but Alec continued. “YOU HERE FOR WARLOCKS YOU TELL ME. START WORKING WITH US. HELP YOUR PEOPLE. OR SEND SOMEONE ELSE.”

Raphael had his eyebrows raised, Meliorn was smirking, and Luke was smiling at Alec proudly. Lorenzo set his gaze to the stained-glass windows for a few moments, looking as though he had just eaten something unpleasant. Then, he stood up from the table and walked out of the room without a word.

Alec adjourned the meeting, hoping he hadn’t just made a big mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, if you are fluent in ASL please correct my grammar. 
> 
> Always welcoming prompts for what you folks would like to see in this universe!


	11. A Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus hosts a party after Valentine's death. Jace keeps staring at Alec and Magnus, and Clary wonders why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another party chapter because it's nice to break up the demon hunting with a little fluff.

Valentine was finally dead. Everyone, Downworlders and Shadowhunters alike, felt a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and trepidation as they considered their collective win and their respective losses.

When Magnus sent out invitations to a party at his flat, many people took him up on the opportunity to celebrate and return to a sense of normalcy. Clary was excited to feel like a regular person for once and attend a party with her boyfriend. She wore a pair of jeans and a purple lace shirt she had bought while shopping with Izzy a few months ago. Jace dressed how he normally did, wearing black pants, a grey V-neck, and his leather jacket.

Clary, Jace, and Isabelle walked together from the Institute to the Jade Wolf, where they met Maia and Simon. They traveled as a group down the streets to Magnus’s building, not bothering to glamour. There was a silent agreement to not speak of battles or politics. Instead, they discussed dating life, fashion, and Simon’s upcoming performance.

When they got to Magnus’s door, they pressed the button and waited. It was a specialty doorbell that rang but also set off a flashing light so that Alec knew when someone was at the door. Clary thought it was cute that, even though they didn’t live together, Magnus was already adapting his home for his boyfriend. She remembered him complaining about Alec’s alarm clock, which shook the bed instead of making noise.

After a few moments, Alec opened the door and grinned. Jace hugged his _Parabatai_ and Alec returned the embrace, but Clary noticed his expression was slightly clouded with concern and frustration. She hated that they had to lie to him about what happened at Lake Lyn, and she knew that he didn’t believe them at all.

Alec touched her on the shoulder kindly as she passed through the doorway, even offering a friendly handshake to Simon. He was in a good mood tonight, considering.

The flat was decked out in bright, glittering colours, but there were no flashing lights or anything visually distracting – another adaptation for Alec, Clary assumed. The room was filled with a combination of Downworlders and Shadowhunters, all drinking and dancing freely. Any uncertainty Clary had felt about a party at this time disappeared; it was reassuring to see everyone getting along and forgetting about conflict and trauma for the moment.

Magnus turned away from the bar, a full martini in his hand, and saw them standing in the entryway. He snapped his fingers and his drink began to float near his hands as he approached them. “Welcome, my friends,” he said, speaking and signing at the same time, “I’m so glad you could make it.”

Isabelle responded in English and ASL as well. “Thank you for hosting. The place looks amazing.”

“Thank you. Why don’t you grab a drink and dance your cares away?”

“If you insist,” Isabelle replied, then winked at Clary and took her by the hand. Isabelle ordered them both a drink called ‘sex on the beach’, which made Clary blush. Alec appeared beside them and wrote ‘rum and coke’ on a napkin to give to the bartender. Once they all had drinks in hand, he gently touched his glass to both of theirs in a little toast. Jace ordered a vodka tonic, Maia got a beer, and Simon was given a Bloody Mary – ‘original recipe.’

The group generally dispersed, enjoying the party. Magnus had a pool table set up on the other side of the room, as well as a few video-game machines, which Simon hurried over to. Clary, feeling nostalgic, joined him. However, with his new vampire reflexes, Clary had no chance of beating him. Jace leaned against the machine, watching them play with a smirk on his face.

“Okay, Herondale, you think you can do better?” Clary teased him, and he took the bait. Jace hadn’t grown up with video-games like she did. Even though she couldn’t beat Simon anymore, she kicked Jace’s ass in Mortal Kombat easily. She laughed at him while he tried to hide his bruised ego by explaining the inaccuracy of the fighting.

Hours passed as they drank, danced, played games and talked. Clary delightedly found herself living in the moment, not thinking about all they had been through and all they had lost. However, Jace was not as free spirited. As they sat on stools next to the bar, Clary caught him staring across the room, frowning. She followed his gaze. Isabelle was dancing enchantingly in the middle of a crowd, Maia was beating a Shadowhunter in a pool game, Simon was setting up his keyboard, and Alec and Magnus were talking to Catarina Loss.

“Jace, what’s wrong?” she asked.

He shook his head, transforming his expression into a smile. “Nothing. Everything’s great.” He glanced once more over to Alec and Magnus, then asked, “Can I get you another drink?”

“Sure.” She looked over where he had been staring. Alec, Magnus, and Catarina were all speaking ASL, joking around as they sat on the couches. Alec’s laughter, just a little too loud, drifted across the room. Magnus was gently running his fingers through the hair on the back of Alec’s neck and the Shadowhunter was leaning against him. Clary wondered why seeing this made Jace upset.

She decided to try and distract her boyfriend. She set both of their drinks on the counter and took his hand. “Come on, let’s dance.”

Simon performed many more upbeat songs than he usually did, which was refreshing. Clary was filled with happiness, dancing with Jace and listening to her best friend’s music. Jace seemed to be enjoying himself too, resting his hands on her hips and smiling.

However, once they sat down for a break, he went back to brooding. Clary saw that he was looking over at the pool table, where Alec and Magnus were in a fierce, flirty competition. Both men were visibly drunk; Magnus’s movements were even more off-balance than usual, and Alec’s cheeks were flushed. Their flirting was more physical than it usually was, and Clary smiled as Alec leaned in and kissed his boyfriend before immediately attempting to sabotage Magnus’s next move.

“Okay, what’s going on with you? Are you mad that Alec is showing PDA?” she asked.

Jace looked up at her, affronted. “No, of course not.”

“Then what? Is it about –” she stopped herself, not wanting to ruin the night by talking about that night…how she had almost lost him, and how they couldn’t tell Alec what happened. Clary didn’t know a lot of ASL, but by now she could recognize the sentence, “I FELT YOU DIE.” Invalidating his unimaginably traumatic experience left a bad taste in Clary’s mouth.

“No, it’s not,” Jace shook his head. He met her gaze and sighed. “I just didn’t realize how miserable he was before…”

“I don’t understand.”

Jace watched his _Parabatai_ completely miss a shot in the pool game and get brutally but lovingly ridiculed by Magnus. “The Alec I grew up with was so angry and hard on himself and…sad.” Jace stirred his drink. “Seeing him so comfortable with himself and so happy with Magnus…it makes me so fucking happy. But it also makes me feel like a piece of shit because my brother was absolutely miserable before and I didn’t…”

“Didn’t what, Jace? What could you have done?” Clary insisted, touching his arm.

“I don’t know, supported him better, I guess. Made sure that he felt loved… Made him happy.”

Clary was dumbfounded. “Are you serious?” He looked up at her, eyes guarded. Her heart ached. “When I first met everyone, I thought Alec was kind of mean.” Jace frowned, offended, but Clary continued, “He was so stern, and I didn’t understand how following the rules could be _so_ important… But then I got to know him, and I realized that the stakes were a lot higher for Alec and he had to fight so hard not to lose respect.” She was getting off topic, so she shook her head and tried again. “Anyway, what I meant to say was that I never saw Alec smile…unless he was around you.”

Jace pursed his lips, but he didn’t look away. Clary continued, hopeful that she was getting through to him. “When I saw Alec interacting with you, I saw who he really was – funny, witty, proud. You brought out his good side. He’s always felt comfortable around you, he’s always felt loved. Anyone can see that.”

Jace didn’t say anything for a moment, and then he leaned forward and hugged her. She rested her head against his and breathed in the smell of his cologne.

When they pulled away, she asked, “Now, do you want to see if we can beat them in pool?”

Jace grinned. “We’re going to kick their asses.”

They didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are safe and healthy. 
> 
> Again - please suggest any prompts you have for this AU and I will do my best to fill them.


	12. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Maryse are Circle members, but they're beginning to have doubts about their leader. The birth of their son changes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gina requested a story about Robert and Maryse when Alec was born. I hope you like it!

“I don’t like the way he looked at him, Robert.”

Robert Lightwood finished hanging up his jacket and turned to his wife. She was sitting up in bed, makeup free, tired but strong. “What do you mean? He seemed happy for us.”

“Yes, but…” Maryse stared at the crib next to her where their week-old son was sleeping. “When I told him that Alexander is deaf… You really didn’t see the look on his face?”

Robert had noticed the change in Valentine’s expression. His genuine happiness and pride had turned into a pleasant mask for a second and his dark eyes had gotten dangerously sharp. Robert knew Valentine and he knew his ideologies, his limits. He knew that Valentine was considering Alexander’s viability as a good soldier. Robert decided to stop pretending and answered honestly, “No, I noticed.”

He joined Maryse on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. His wife leaned into his right shoulder and his child slept peacefully in the crib to his left. This was his entire world. “We didn’t have much to lose, before,” Maryse said quietly, “But now…”

Robert watched Alexander’s little belly rise and fall as he slept. He and Maryse had had a few hushed conversations throughout her pregnancy, discussing their growing distrust of Valentine. His ideas had been inspirational before but following orders recently had left a bad taste in Robert’s mouth. Valentine was getting more violent and less patient. He was taking more risks and not listening to others.

Alexander made a little sound and scrunched up his tiny nose. Robert forced himself to consider their future in which his son grew up here on the compound. Where were they going to find someone to teach them sign language? Would Alexander feel at home here? Would Valentine support him?

Robert recalled the dangerous look in Valentine’s eyes when Maryse told him… No, he wouldn’t support Alexander. Valentine was trying to create a society of strong, perfect Shadowhunters. Robert felt sick to his stomach, considering what Valentine might do. 

“We have to do what’s best for him,” Robert agreed, reaching for her hand. She looked up at him, her eyes bright with fear but also protectiveness.

Maryse took a breath and straightened her shoulders, squeezing his hand. She was the strongest, bravest, most passionate woman Robert had ever met. “I can say I have a checkup. I’ll bring Alexander with me. Valentine won’t suspect anything.”

“Where will you go?”

“The New York Institute.” She watched her baby sleep, a determined expression on her face. “I’ll make a deal with them – we give them information if they ensure our protection.”

“Valentine will have a kill order out for us; you know that.”

Maryse’s touch on his cheek was gentle but her voice was sharp. “We have to protect Alexander. He doesn't have a future here.” Robert nodded. She continued, allowing a little optimism into their bleak future, “There’s a reason why we haven’t been able to take down the Clave yet. Their defences are strong. With the intel we have to offer…I’m going to stop at nothing to ensure Valentine can’t reach us.”

Their kiss was intense, full of fear and hope and determination.

When Alexander awoke hours later, crying, Robert left his wife sleeping. He picked up the baby and gently rocked him, marvelling at how small and warm he was. When the new parents had found out their son was deaf, they were shaken. But one look at Alexander and they knew they would risk anything to give him the best life. Once they were in the Clave’s protection, they were going to learn sign language. It would be hard, but it would be worth it. They would do anything to ensure Alexander grew up happy and successful.

The prospect of being an enemy of Valentine’s was petrifying, but the alternative was equally chilling. Robert knew they had to take this risk. They had to protect their family.

In the morning, Robert kissed his wife and wished her well with her ‘appointment.’ And Valentine watched them closely, his eyes cold and dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any perspectives/situations you would love to see in this AU? Let me know!


	13. New Beginnings (A Different World)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace and Isabelle meet baby Max for the first time.

Jace and Isabelle were in the weapons room returning their seraph blades to storage when the fire message appeared. Jace snatched it out of the air and read the message. His face lit up like a beacon.

“The baby’s here!”

Isabelle shrieked in excitement, and the two of them removed their armour in record time. When they walked from the Institute, it took all of their self-control to not break out into a run.

“Alec is so fucking happy right now,” Jace told Isabelle with a smile. His _Parabatai_ rune felt like it was glowing, and warm happiness was radiating through Jace’s soul.

When they rang the doorbell, it was Magnus who answered. He flung open the double doors with a huge smile on his face. “Welcome!”

Jace patted Magnus on the shoulder. “Congrats, new dad!” he said. Isabelle hugged her brother-in-law tightly. Finally, they entered the living room and saw Alec.

He was sitting on the couch, holding his son carefully in his arms. When he looked up, Jace saw tears in his eyes. Alec’s smile was like sunshine. Jace felt like he might burst.

“CONGRATULATIONS, DAD,” Jace signed. Alec beckoned him over with his free hand, and Jace sat next to him on the couch. The baby was swaddled in a grey blanket, nestled carefully into the crook of Alec’s elbow. He had blue skin and a pair of tiny horns poking out of his forehead. His little nose crinkled while he slept.

Jace looked up from his new nephew and watched his brother fall in love. Magnus was also watching them from the armchair nearby. Jace couldn’t read the expression on the warlock’s face…a mixture of happiness and something more complex. Isabelle leaned over the back of the couch and gasped. “By the Angel, he’s precious.”

Alec looked at Jace, his eyes shining with overwhelming happiness and pride. He raised his eyebrows and gestured with his free hand. Jace nodded. Alec carefully transferred his son over to his _Parabatai’s_ arms.

Jace was surprised at how heavy the baby was. He had a small amount of curly, black hair on top of his little head. “HE’S PERFECT,” Alec said. Jace nodded.

Holding the little one in his arms, Jace marvelled at how lucky this baby was. Having Alec and Magnus as parents, the boy would be surrounded by endless love, support, and protection. Even though they had met this baby only moments ago, Jace knew he and Isabelle would kill anyone who tried to hurt him.

“WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY,” Isabelle said.

And the baby slept peacefully, unaware that he was suddenly the centre of their world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your wonderful comments! 
> 
> Whose perspective do you enjoy the most?


	14. Unexpected Advantage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young Jace and Alec are still in training. The team is surprised by a nest of banshees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mac suggested that the “monster of the week” (lol) was sound based, like a banshee. Also, thatfangirlEL requested more of young Alec proving how smart and strong he is. So – here we are. Hope you like it!

Alec and Jace walked close together, both of them pretending to not be nervous while also gaining comfort from each other’s proximity. Alec knew they had nothing to worry about; almost a dozen adult Shadowhunters surrounded them as they walked through the forest on high alert. It was standard practice at the New York Institute that young, inexperienced Shadowhunters were given significant support on their first few missions. Alec and Jace had already killed many demons on their previous excursions, but this one was a little more dangerous – their final test.

Five mundanes had been found dead in this forest in the past week. The Institute was not permitted to administer autopsies on mundanes, and surveillance indicated that this was the work of a demon – but they weren’t sure what kind. Something with sharp claws, that was for certain.

The sun was just beginning to set, touching the trees with orange light. Alec watched the mission leader carefully as she used a device to follow the demonic energy, bringing them closer to the demons’ nest. His hands were sweaty where they gripped his bow. Jace smiled at him, but Alec knew him well enough by now to tell that he was nervous too. It had only been half a year since Jace had moved in with them, but Alec had never felt a connection like this. Jace made an effort to speak his language, to get to know him, to spend time with him. Alec wasn’t used to feeling special. Dwelling on it made him feel warm and flustered, so he returned his focus to the task at hand.

The leader held up her hand to stop the group. Alec was thankful she wasn’t relying exclusively on verbal communication, although he doubted it was for his benefit. In situations like this, gestures were simply clearer, quieter, and more efficient. Alec wondered if, one day, he would be able to lead a mission.

In front of them was a huge tree, mangled and blackened. It had gnarled roots and long, thick branches. Hanging from those branches were human-sized, leathery sacks swaying in the breeze. The leader gestured for everyone to be silent and then she turned to whisper to her _Parabatai_. Alec noticed the worried expressions on their faces. Without lifting his bow, he slowly notched an arrow.

The mission leader gathered everyone together and informed them of her plan. Other Shadowhunters blocked Alec’s view of her, though, so he couldn’t lipread. He directed a questioning glance at Jace. Jace signed, “THEY WILL EXPLODE TREE. KILL DEMONS QUICKLY.”

“OK.”

The leader activated runes on the handheld explosive before rolling it toward the base of the tree. Everyone took cover behind other trunks and suddenly there was a flash of light and the air was filled with smoke. Alec could smell that the tree was burning. He swiftly moved from behind his cover, his bow up and ready.

He felt a surge of panic when he realized no one else was ready to fight. Every other Shadowhunter was crumpled on the forest floor, but they were still moving, rocking and writhing. Alec didn’t have time to investigate because the surviving demons were emerging from their cocoons and advancing on their fallen prey. The flaming tree illuminated their ratty, black wings and their long dark hair. They had huge, gaping mouths and luminous red eyes. Banshees.

Alec was shooting arrows before he could think. Any slight movement was pounced upon by his adrenaline-fuelled reflexes, and he shot them out of the sky as soon as they emerged from their smouldering, leathery homes.

His fellow Shadowhunters were unable to defend themselves. Alec remembered reading about how the cry of a banshee could paralyze a person, rendering them unable to do anything but try and block their ears from the sound. He protected each and every member of his team, shooting down any banshee that got too close.

The demons noticed him and opened their cavernous mouths even wider. Their faces were humanoid, and they seemed almost frustrated as they swooped at him, swiping their claws. None of them got close enough to land a mark.

Alec felt like he released at least thirty arrows before there was no more movement in the sky except for the flickering of the dying flames on the tree. The other Shadowhunters began to rise, removing their hands from their ears and looking around in pained confusion. Suddenly, Alec was nearly knocked over by the force of Jace’s aggressive hug. When he pulled away, Jace signed, “YOU AMAZING. YOU SAVE EVERYONE.” Alec just shrugged, trying to catch his breath.

The leader of the mission clasped him firmly on the shoulder, a look of appreciation and relief on her face. She turned to Jace and Alec watched her say, “Tell him he did an exemplary job. We would have all died without him.”

Alec reached his hand into her line of sight and she looked at him once more. “I WATCH YOUR LIPS,” he signed. She nodded and put her hands on his shoulders. Even though she was nearly ten years older than him, they were the same height.

“Thank you, Alec,” she said. He shrugged, not sure how to react to the attention.

When they returned home, covered in ash and dirt, the leader of the mission reported to Maryse Lightwood, Head of the Institute. Maryse dismissed her and then made eye contact with her son. She didn’t say or sign anything, but relief and pride was written across her face. Alec lowered his shoulders and raised his chin, clasping his hands behind his back. He nodded.

On their next mission, Alec wasn’t afraid to tell Jace what to do. He trusted his instincts and, most importantly, other people trusted his abilities and opinions. His eye for detail, his appreciation of consequences, and his strength in strategy shone on the battlefield. Alec soon was put in charge of his own squadron. A few months later, he was the youngest mission leader in the history of the New York Institute.

Jace was by far the best fighter in their cohort, but Alec was beginning to realize that he could be the best at something too.


	15. Drunken Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clary & Simon go out for a drink at the Hunter's Moon. They run into Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TheBigSmile asked for others getting jealous of Magnus for having the perfect boyfriend. I used that as an opportunity to write a little more Simon. Also, for someone who’s not super fond of Clary I sure write a lot of Clary’s POV…

It was nice to have Simon by her side. It felt almost as if things were back to normal and they were just two young friends going for a drink together. But the Shadow World had slammed into their lives like a ton of bricks. They were human no longer, a Shadowhunter covered in runes and a vampire with incredible strength and interesting new cravings.

Clary watched Simon take a sip of his Bloody Mary and considered the cognitive dissonance of it, the normalcy of their friendship and the supernatural circumstances. They were at the Hunter’s Moon, surrounded by Downworlders of all sorts and a few Shadowhunters. Clary was happy to see other Nephilim at the bar; even though they mainly interacted with each other, they were still respectfully sharing a space.

Clary and Simon drank quite a bit and joked around, playing word games. Simon was making up songs about objects around them. It was in this search for another inanimate muse that Clary noticed Magnus Bane. The warlock was lounging in the corner of the bar, sipping on a martini and texting. Clary considered his relatively reserved choice of clothing. When they had first met him, Magnus wore very tight pants and shirts that were barely buttoned…it was no wonder that he had made Alec so flustered. But now, he wore a simple flowing shirt with a high collar and a pair of jeans.

“I’m ready for another ballad. Hit me.” Simon noticed her distraction and followed her line of sight, “Oh, there’s Magnus!” He slid out of their booth ungracefully and made his way over. Clary followed him.

“Simon! Clary!” Magnus greeted, setting his phone down on the table and absentmindedly rubbing his fingers after touching the sticky surface. “What kind of trouble are you getting into today?”

“No trouble this time,” Clary responded with a laugh, “We’ve got a day off.”

“Me as well!” Magnus gestured to the unoccupied seats. “Would you like to join?”

Simon plunked down in one of the chairs across from the warlock, and Clary sat next to her best friend. Magnus took up a lot of room in a booth, his limbs comfortably spread. “Where’s Alec?” Simon asked, looking around as if the Shadowhunter would suddenly pop up from behind the bar.

“Unfortunately, a day off is a rarity for our dear Head of the Institute,” Magnus replied. Clary could tell he was a little tipsy because he gesticulated with his hands more often than usual (which was saying something). He noticed their drinks were almost empty. “Let me top you up.” Before Simon or Clary could pretend to disagree, the warlock captured the attention of the bartender, and she came over with another tray – a Bloody Mary, a Long Island iced tea, and a martini. Magnus tipped her generously with a glittery wink.

“How’s Alec doing?” Clary asked. Although Jace’s return had restored their _Parabatai_ connection and brought him from the brink of death, she assumed it had taken a few days for him to recover. She knew that Magnus was aware of what she referred to, but he chose to respond as if he didn’t. Clary understood…she didn’t want to talk about Jace’s imprisonment either.

“He’s handsome as ever, thank you for asking. I took him to Greece the other night and you should have seen him devour that souvlaki! I understand now why demons are so afraid of him.”

Simon consumed about half of his drink on one gulp, then wiped his mouth messily. “You know what, Magnus, it is _so_ nice to see you and Alec together.” Magnus raised an eyebrow and the vampire continued, “Never mind the whole wedding spectacle, you guys make such a cool statement just by being in public spaces and being happy and in love and it’s just really cool. You’re a Downworlder and a Shadowhunter, you’re both guys, Alec is Deaf. And you’re both so handsome.” Simon got very chatty when he was drunk. “It’s just so _nice_ to see.”

Magnus smiled softly. “Yes, well… Alexander is something special, isn’t he?” He finished his drink, leaving the olives alone in the bottom of the glass. “He’s so smart and beautiful –”

“Very!” Simon agreed, toasting his glass. Clary laughed. She tended to forget about Simon’s bisexuality, but it always reared its head when alcohol was involved.

“ – and, do you want to know something?” Magnus leaned forward and Simon matched him, making eye contact seriously. Clary watched their drunken energies collide and tried to stop laughing. “He is so sweet. He…protects me? I’ve never been protected before. Granted, I don’t really need it. But it’s still so very nice to have a man like him. I’m so fucking lucky.”

“You really are,” Simon said seriously, finishing off his drink.

Magnus lifted his phone case from the sticky table, wiping it off with a displeased expression. “Although, being in a relationship with Alec Lightwood does have its challenges,” he chuckled.

“You mean because he’s Deaf,” Simon said understandingly.

Clary was surprised when Magnus scoffed and shook his head. “No. He’s not difficult because he’s Deaf – he’s difficult because he’s a goddamn Lightwood!”

Simon laughed, “What do you mean?”

The warlock shook his head in disbelief, turning to Clary. “Biscuit, you understand. You live with them.”

Clary shrugged, “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You’re not sure what I mean? Alec and Jace and Isabelle are the most stubborn people I’ve ever met – and I’ve lived for over 400 years, darling.” Magnus took another martini off of the tray. Clary hadn’t even noticed the bartender approach them. “The…competitiveness! His pride. The way he works himself to the bone and doesn’t even notice!” He shook his head, “That man will be the death of me.”

Clary drank her iced tea through the straw, pondering how she didn’t really know Alec very well at all. It had taken a long time for her to even see the walls he put up around him, and a lot of them were still there. She couldn’t imagine knowing Alec the way Magnus did, with no walls at all. She had seen glimpses of warmth from him when he interacted with his siblings and with Magnus.

Mostly, it was really tough for her to get to know him because she didn’t speak his language. Watching Magnus light up with exasperated fondness as he spoke about his partner, Clary made a decision. Once Jace was freed from the City of Bones, she would ask him to teach her some ASL.

*****

But, unsurprisingly, pretty much nothing went smoothly, and Clary’s ever-shifting world began to crack and crumble even more. She didn’t have the time, she didn’t have the energy…there were more important things to focus on. More important things to grieve.

And the rift between her and Alec grew larger and more treacherous. She wasn’t sure they would ever be able to cross it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're waiting for a sign to learn ASL - this it it! Comment or message me and I can send you some great online resources.
> 
> Please continue suggesting prompts for this AU, they are much appreciated!


	16. Possessed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A demon enters the Institute and wreaks havoc on everyone's lives. Alec attempts to repair the unrepairable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some more about the Clary & Alec relationship I have going in this AU...it's pretty distant, but they've had some significant history.

Everything was hazy, out of focus. Alec’s head was spinning and his body ached. A pair of boots entered his line of vision…Clary. She was looking at him with wariness and concern.

Fighting to put his muddled thoughts in order, he began to sign. “I NOT KNOW…” When he raised his hand to his forehead, he noticed it was entirely crimson, covered in blood. Panic filled his lungs like water. Clary’s eyes widened and she moved into the room behind him. Shakily, he stood and followed her.

They both knew they would find a body in there. If it were Jace or Isabelle, Alec would be shattered completely. Instead, Clary was shattered.

It was Jocelyn. Her mother. Jace’s mother. Alec focused on the crater in her chest. Looking at that was horrific but somehow more tolerable than looking at Clary in that moment. Finally, he forced himself to turn to her. She was crumbling to pieces. He felt like he was drowning.

Alec reached for Clary and then stopped, his crimson hand shaking. She shoved him away forcefully. His back hit the wall and stuck there, and he didn’t move until other Shadowhunters arrived.

After scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing his hands until they were clean, Alec went to the ops centre on a sadistic mission. He needed to see it for himself.

It was his third replay when Clary walked in. He stabbed at the screen to pause it, but she calmly resumed it without looking at him. Together they watched him plunge his hand into her mother’s chest before looking up at the camera with eyes black as night.

Alec activated the text-to-voice function on his phone, but his thumbs were frozen, unable to type. When he looked up again, Clary was gone. He felt like the walls of the Institute were closing in.

A flash of red hair disappeared into the ceremony room and he followed. The demon was still in the building.

Isabelle walked into the room and for a second Alec was relieved to see her. “ISABELLE, WE NEED YOUR HELP…” His hands stuttered to a stop when his sister looked up, her eyes endlessly black.

“YOU KILL HER MOM,” Isabelle signed, approaching him with purpose. Alec didn’t take out his weapon. They fought hand-to-hand, but it was nothing like sparring while training. Isabelle mustered her full strength behind every move and she soon had Alec knocked onto his back with his breath punched out of his lungs. She knelt on his arms so he couldn’t sign, couldn’t communicate with her. Her teeth were sharp like a wolf’s while she signed close to his face, “PARENTS THINK YOU’RE AMAZING. BUT YOU’RE WEAK. I’M STRONGER.”

Alec thought this must be the worst way to die, at the hands of one he loved.

Before Isabelle could plunge her fist into his heaving chest, Clary appeared. She leapt from behind and stabbed Isabelle with a seraph blade. Alec watched his sister collapse while the demon’s black smoke filled the room. Clary’s eyes were filled with the most hatred he’d ever seen. She slashed her blade into the demon, and it crumbled to ash. Gone.

Clary met Alec’s eyes across the room as he held Isabelle close. He wasn’t sure if it was the residual hatred in her eyes, but he couldn’t manage to look at her. He focused on activating Isabelle’s healing rune.

A few moments later, Jace’s presence was warm and welcome at his side. Alec held his family close and tried to ignore his crimson hand in the corner of his eye.

*****

The night breeze was cool against his skin. He shot arrow after arrow until he lost count, until he could feel the skin of his fingers tear and bleed…then he kept going. When Jace appeared in front of him, he kept his next arrow drawn, feeling his hand shake.

“YOU HERE HOW LONG?” Jace asked. Alec didn’t change his position, nudging the bow to the side in order to tell Jace to move. “ALEC, PUT THAT DOWN. TALK TO ME.” Alec shook his head. Jace continued to sign, “NOT YOUR FAULT. YOU CAN’T PUNISH YOURSELF.” Alec jerked the bow more emphatically, but Jace responded, “NO. NOT MOVING.”

Finally, Alec lowered the bow and returned the arrow to his quiver. “COME INSIDE,” Jace said.

“I CAN’T BE THERE,” Alec replied. Jace noticed his bleeding hand and moved forward in concern, but his _Parabatai_ retreated to the edge of the roof. Jace put a hand on his shoulder and Alec turned around viciously. “STOP.” he said, “I FAIL YOU. I NOT SAVE YOU FROM VALENTINE. I NOT SAVE YOU FROM BONE CITY. I…” Alec couldn’t complete that thought. He tried again. “CLARY’S MOTHER. YOUR MOTHER.”

Alec saw forgiveness in Jace’s eyes, but that hurt almost as much as Clary’s hatred did. He turned away before Jace could say more about guilt…if Alec weren’t to blame then who was? It was his hands who took Jocelyn’s life, ripped it out of her chest.

He activated his Agility rune and jumped off of the roof without a second glance. As he wandered the city streets looking for demons, he secretly hoped one would take him down. At least then he wouldn’t have to face Clary again.

*****

Talking with Magnus helped Alec find some equilibrium. The warlock was effervescent and restless in some ways, but in their relationship, he was a steady source of support and comfort. Alec had a plan now, steps he could take. And the first step involved speaking to Clary.

Alec stood outside of her bedroom door, staring at the message he had written in his phone. Finally, he took a deep breath and knocked, opening the door. Clary was sitting on her bed with that awful, blank look on her face. Alec swallowed hard and pressed play on his text-to-voice. “ _Clary, I’m so sorry. I would do anything to take back those 30 seconds. Anything you need, I’m here for you._ ”

Clary didn’t move. For a second, Alec wanted to double-check that he had played the message. But finally she stood and walked up to Alec. When she spoke, it was slow so that he could lipread. Alec was thankful to look at her mouth instead of her glassy eyes.

“What could you do for me, Alec? We’re not exactly the most efficient team. Helping me would not count as Clave business, so you wouldn’t have an interpreter. We can barely communicate.” Alec wanted to look away, but he couldn’t until she was done speaking. So, he clenched his fist hard and waited. “I appreciate you wanting to help me. But there’s nothing you can do.”

Then she walked past him. Alec tried to catch his breath, surrounded by photos of Jocelyn and her daughter, feeling trapped. Out of the corner of his eye, his crimson hand unfurled, dripping blood onto the carpet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think?


	17. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madzie babysits Max while Magnus and Alec go out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter was pretty heavy, so here's a cute little family moment! I hope you enjoy!

The lights flashed when the doorbell rang. Alec looked up from his game of ‘Simon Says’ and raised his eyebrows at his husband. Magnus laughed. Alec was taking his duty as ‘Simon’ very seriously. Max was giggling, running around the room with his pointer fingers placed near his mouth like fangs. Magnus wondered what Simon Lewis would think if he saw them making a friendly mockery of him like this.

“SIMON SAY…DANCE!” Magnus managed to tear his gaze away from his adorable five-year-old son and opened the door.

Madzie Loss was right on time. “Hi, sweetpea, how are you?”

Madzie shuffled her feet a little, but she smiled. At fifteen years old, she didn’t really know how to react to his nicknames. Magnus was going to stop calling her cute names when she stopped being cute…and he doubted that day would ever arrive. “I’m fine. How are you?”

Magnus smiled fondly. Madzie was a very polite young lady. “I’m fantastic. Come on in.” She walked past him and chuckled when she saw Alec and Max playing in the living room.

“YOU DO WHAT?” Madzie signed to them.

Alec solemnly signed back, “WEREWOLF, WHAT TIME?” He beckoned to her, cracking a smile. Sometimes Madzie had trouble knowing when they were pretend-serious or really serious, so Alec was making sure she knew it was no big deal if she said no. “YOU PLAY.”

Madzie shrugged, placing her backpack on a nearby chair. Magnus retreated to the balcony so that he wouldn’t be roped into the game. The Shadowhunter tried to convince him, but Magnus stubbornly held his ground. Alec gave up.

“WEREWOLF WHO?” Madzie asked.

“WEREWOLF ME!” Alec responded at the same time that Max emphatically pointed at his dad. “WHY? I BIG AND STRONG.” He playfully pinched his son on the arm. “AND HUNGRY.” Max shrieked with a huge smile on his face.

Alec was facing him, his back to the children, so Magnus had the most delightful view of his handsome husband, their excited child, and their honorary niece. Alec looked expectantly over his shoulder and the children signed, “WEREWOLF, WHAT TIME?”

Alec responded, “FOUR O’CLOCK,” and then turned back.

The children made four deliberate steps forward. Magnus winked at Alec, “YOU’RE VERY GOOD.”

“I’M SHADOWHUNTER. REFLEXES FAST.” Alec said before dramatically looking over his shoulder again. Max pressed himself close to Madzie and jumped up and down. Madzie tolerated the game in a bit of a teenager way, smiling at the little boy but often rolling her eyes at Alec.

It only took a few more turns before the ‘werewolf’s’ response to their question was “LUNCH.” Magnus chuckled as Alec picked Max up and tossed him up onto his shoulder. Max kicked his feet a little, laughing so much he was almost having trouble breathing. Alec turned around in circles a few times before tossing the five-year-old onto their soft couch. Madzie shook her head at them in disapproval.

“Okay, okay,” Magnus said, putting his hands up to get Alec’s attention. “NOW TIME FOR LUNCH. NOT GAME. GO SIT TABLE.”

They all sat down in the dining area. Max caught his breath, “Papa, what’s for lunch?” he asked. Alec gently poked Max’s shoulder and looked at him expectantly. “SORRY,” Max signed, then turned to Magnus again. “LUNCH WHAT?” he signed. Max was still learning how to combine use of both languages. He always signed with Alec, but sometimes he and Magnus would speak only English when Alec wasn’t home. It was difficult for a young, distractible kid to juggle two grammar structures at once, but he was getting better. In general, ASL alone worked the most efficiently for their family.

“SANDWICHES,” Magnus responded, and finished off the sign with a flourish of his hands. Suddenly, four sandwiches appeared on the table – corned beef for Alec, cucumber and avocado for Max, ham and cheese for Madzie, and a BLT for Magnus. Everyone signed “THANK YOU” and began to eat. Madzie spent most of the meal putting her sandwich down to tell them about what she was learning in school about the ocean. There was no one who loved ocean life more than this warlock. Max tried to tell Madzie his limited knowledge about fish but was quickly corrected by her. Magnus was glad that his son didn’t get insulted very easily.

Soon it was time for Alec and Magnus to leave. Alec went to the bedroom to get their bag, so Magnus took the opportunity to refresh Madzie on the babysitting rules. “Alright, Madz. You know the drill. Our numbers are on the fridge, supper is _in_ the fridge – just heat it up in the microwave. Only one episode of Paw Patrol before bed, and he must be in bed by 8:00. He knows that. Don’t let him fight you on it. And, remember,” Magnus put his jacket on and portaled Alec’s cardigan to the bedroom, hearing a muffled exclamation of surprise through the wall, “no risky magic. Illusions only. He’s still working on control and I would love to return to see this apartment still in one piece. Got all that?”

“Got it.” Madzie lifted up her backpack, which was green and covered in shimmery scales. It seemed a bit young for a girl her age, but it made her very happy. “I brought some books from the library.”

“You’re the best.” Magnus looked around the corner to see if his husband was ready. He wasn’t. Max was sitting on the living room floor, making a very tall tower with his LEGO. “Reading is fun! Right, bluebird?”

“Not really,” Max responded.

“Reading. Is. Fun.”

Finally, Alec emerged from the bedroom, cardigan on and hair tousled. He had their bag slung over his shoulder. “SORRY, I FIND MY BOOK.”

“COME,” Magnus responded, creating a portal in front of the balcony doors. He knelt down in front of Max and kissed him in between his horns. “IF YOU GOOD WE BRING YOU GIFT FROM PARIS.”

Alec joined them, shaking the “I LOVE YOU” sign obnoxiously before kissing Max multiple times on his blue cheek. Max giggled and squirmed.

They thanked Madzie one more time before stepping through the portal and onto the mid-day Paris streets. Alec turned to his husband. “COFFEE?”

Magnus often found himself marvelling at the perfection of his life. This was another one of those moments. He sipped his latte at their favourite shop, watching Alec’s dark hair gleam in the sunlight while he recounted something political. Magnus wasn’t interested in the story, but he was very interested in watching Alec’s dark eyes and his strong arms.

He thought about the sleepless nights they had spent fretting over Max when he was a baby. He remembered Alec’s worry and protectiveness and joy as he settled into parenthood. Now, Alec was as much of a natural father as he was a natural Shadowhunter. Magnus was amazed by him nearly every day.

His husband was one of those people who were meant for fatherhood. Magnus didn’t feel the same way about himself. He loved it almost more than anything he’d ever done in his many years of life…but sometimes Magnus thought that he was a good Papa only in combination with Alec being a good Dad. They were meant to be a team on this. Magnus wouldn’t have it any other way.

Alec finally finished his story and took a sip from his cup. Magnus made a joke about the miserable couple sitting next to them and the Shadowhunter nearly spit out his coffee when he laughed. Magnus drank in the view, loving his husband’s crooked smile. He didn’t need to commit it to memory – Max smiled the exact same way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Prompts? I love you guys!


	18. Simon Meets Alec

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon's thoughts when he first meets Alec.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is super short, just meant to be a brief look into our favourite bi vampire's mind.

When Simon first met Alec Lightwood, he didn’t like him very much. Alec was super handsome, but he was also…grumpy. He seemed to have a permanent frown in between his eyebrows, and he rolled his eyes at least once in every conversation Simon was present for.

Simon knew Alec was annoyed because they were making him break the rules. Their adventures always had to be kept secret, and that was shitty for the Head of the Institute. Also, secret adventures meant that Alec could never bring an interpreter. Simon couldn’t imagine how frustrating the communication barrier must be.

Simon had taken one ‘intro to ASL’ course in university, so he basically knew numbers, colours, and how to talk about his family. He could fingerspell, but very slowly, and he was always mixing up the letters D and F. He was quite terrible at it and he didn’t want to insult an actual Deaf person by trying to talk with him. However, the first time Simon mustered the courage to try, he was surprised to see the Shadowhunter’s frown smooth out a little.

Their conversations were disastrously slow, and Alec had to fingerspell the meaning of nearly every second sign, but Alec treated him a little differently. He rolled his eyes a lot less and, once, he nearly smiled. Simon’s heart rate increased so significantly that he was worried everyone in the room could hear it…wow, Alec was handsome when he (nearly) smiled.

Clary told him that Alec was gay and for a few days Simon allowed himself to have little daydreams. But they were unrealistic for a plethora of reasons – the biggest reason being Magnus Bane.

Magnus Bane was a warlock and he was magical in more ways than one. His hair was perfect, his face was angular, and his arms were super muscular. He spoke as if his thoughts were written by a languid playwright. And he could sign.

Most importantly, he made Alec Lightwood blush. Constantly! Any semblance of pride Simon had in his ability to make Alec frown a little less was gone out the window. Magnus Bane made Alec light up like the sun.

So, Simon let his daydreams drift away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten a lot of great prompts - don't worry, I'm slowly working through them as I get inspired! Always open for new ideas to add to the list!


	19. An Unwanted Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clary creates a Hearing rune.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've put Clary and Alec through a lot of hardship in building this universe, so I thought I'd show you guys their happy ending, of sorts.

Clary had finally broken her habit of knocking on Alec’s door. When she entered his office, he looked up and waved.

“Hey, Alec.” When she spoke, she heard a soft thump and turned to see Sam, Alec’s interpreter, hurriedly putting his book down on the table next to his cup of tea. The curly-haired man stood in Alec’s line of sight, his dark skin deepening with a blush.

Alec smiled kindly at his interpreter, then asked her, “What can I do for you?”

“Well…” Clary put her hands in the pockets of her cardigan and tried to hide her nervousness. Alec frowned.

“Do you want Sam to leave?” Hearing Sam refer to himself in third person was kind of funny. It had taken Clary a while to get used to distinguishing between Sam speaking and Sam being Alec’s voice.

She shook her head. “No, Sam can stay.” She sat when Alec gestured to the chair in front of his desk. He closed his laptop in order to give her his full attention.

“Is everything okay?” Alec asked.

“Yes, everything’s fine. I just…” Clary looked up, watching Alec’s dark eyes periodically glance over at Sam while she spoke. “Alec… You and I took a while to really understand each other, I think.”

He gave a small nod, his eyebrows furrowed. This wary, evaluating expression was a very common one for Alec. That was part of the reason why she had been intimidated by him for so long.

“We’ve been through a lot. But now, I’d like to say we’re friends?”

Sam must have mimicked the questioning tone at the end in his signing, because Alec responded with, “Yes, we’re friends.” Clary hesitantly copied the sign (pointer fingers hooking around each other like chain links). Alec smiled.

Clary took a deep breath. It was strange being able to talk about her secret after hiding it for so long. She knew Sam was bound by a confidentiality contract, but it still made her a little nervous. “So, I’ve started to get the hang of this rune creation thing.” She pulled a sketchbook page from her pocket. “And, I made this for you.”

Alec took the paper, examining the rune drawn there. The centre of it was a swirl, like a cochlea…as she had been sketching it, she wondered if the Angel had done that intentionally. “It’s a Hearing rune,” she explained.

Alec looked up at Sam in confusion. Then he signed to Clary, “Can you repeat that?”

“A Hearing rune.” Clary said, nervous but proud. “I know that, when you were a baby, your parents tried everything to fix your hearing, but nothing worked… But that was before the Angel gave me the ability to do this. And, don’t worry, I’m very confident that it will work. I can feel it.”

However, Alec’s concerned expression didn’t disappear after her assurances. Didn’t he trust her ability? He placed the paper down carefully and then lifted his hands to respond.

“I appreciate that this is coming from kindness. Your intention is good. But… I don’t want to hear.”

Clary looked over at Sam and back to Alec, wondering if the interpreter had made a mistake. “What? Why?”

Alec frowned in consideration, then asked her, “Why do you think I should hear?”

Clary raised her eyebrows. This was not how she had expected this conversation to go. “Well… it would be an advantage when you’re fighting.”

“I’m one of the best fighters at this Institute.”

“Well, yes, but…” She changed her focus. “You can listen to music!”

“I like watching Jace play the piano. I’ve never heard music. I don’t need it.”

Clary threw her hands up a little. “You could communicate with more people!”

Alec shrugged. “I can communicate with anyone who wants to put in the effort to communicate with me.” Clary blushed. She felt flustered and a little lost.

He touched her hand gently and she looked back up at him. He was smiling softly. Alec had never looked at her like that. She felt a little better. “I know you think you are offering me something good. I appreciate that. You’re a good friend.” She let out a breath and he continued. “But I’m not ashamed of being Deaf. It doesn’t stop me from doing anything. Being Deaf is simply part of who I am. Just like…being an artist is part of who you are.” He returned the piece of paper to her and she held it in her hands carefully. “This rune would change everything I know about the world, about myself.”

Alec gazed off into the distance a bit, thinking. Clary didn’t interrupt. Finally, he continued signing. “My life is perfect right now.” Clary thought about how beautiful his and Magnus’s wedding had been, how he was making such a positive difference for Downworlder communities and Deaf shadowhunters through his job as Head of the Institute. “I have everything I could have ever wanted.”

Clary didn’t really understand, but Alec was showing absolutely no hesitation in his response. She had to respect that. “Okay,” she said, folding the paper and putting it back in her pocket. “I just… I wanted to do something nice for you.”

“I have another idea,” Alec said. “Instead of a rune, could I get you to do a drawing for me?”

Clary raised her eyebrows. Alec had never shown interest in her art before. “Sure. A drawing of what?”

“There’s this café in Paris… Magnus took me there for our first date. His birthday is coming up and I wanted to give him something special. If I get you a picture of the café, could you draw it? I’ll pay you.”

“No.” Alec looked incredulous for a moment before she hurriedly continued. “I mean, no you don’t have to pay me. I’ll do it to make it up to you. For this.” She smiled, “Also that sounds really cute.”

Alec blushed a little. “I’ll get you a photo as soon as I can.”

Before she could second-guess herself, Clary offered, “Or I could take us there right now?” Alec raised his eyebrows. “Portal rune, remember?”

“Okay. My workday is almost done anyway.”

“Great. I’ll grab my sketchbook and supplies and be right back!”

When she returned to Alec’s office, Sam was gone, his shift over. Clary remembered Alec’s earlier response ( _I can communicate with anyone who puts in the effort to communicate with me_ ) and didn’t allow herself to be nervous. She opened the portal and together they stepped onto Paris streets. It was dusk and the breeze was crisp and cool. Alec smiled at her, the sunset touching the top of his hair and the highest points of his face. For the first time she understood why Jace held Alec so close to his heart.

Clary made sure to speak slowly and clearly, facing him, so that he could read her lips. Any time he didn’t understand, she took the time to type the message in her phone for him to read. She patiently waited whenever Alec needed time to type into his text-to-voice app. They chatted fairly easily, sitting at a table across the street from the café, glamoured. Clary lost herself in her artwork, listening to Alec tell a cute story about Madzie.

Some people took a little more effort to understand. Slowly fingerspelling the alphabet with Alec under a Paris streetlamp, Clary felt a calming warmth in her chest. It only took about a year, but finally they were friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I am not a member of the Deaf community. I'm writing from a place of research, not experience. But I thought it was important to share this aspect of Deaf culture - deafness is not seen as a disability, just a difference. Deaf people don't need to be "fixed," they need hearing people to put in some effort to understand them.
> 
> Check out this video of Nyle DiMarco (Deaf activist, model, actor, and dancer) describing his upbringing and outlook on life as a Deaf person: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_Q7axl4oXY 
> 
> Comments are very appreciated :) Thanks for reading!


	20. Role Model

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew Underhill pays Alec a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've adapted Underhill's character a bit, hope you don't mind.

Alec activated his computer and the virtual screen sprung up from his desk. His checklist had been gaining new additions consistently throughout the day, and he made a mental note to text Magnus that he would be late for supper.

“READY TO GO?” Alec asked his interpreter, Sam. Sam nodded and stood from his chair, brushing cookie crumbs off of his pants. However, they were interrupted before they could leave to do Alec’s rounds.

A blonde-haired man entered the room hesitantly. When he met Alec’s eyes, he smiled. The man obviously recognized Alec, but the feeling was not mutual.

“HELLO. I HELP YOU?” Alec was surprised when the man’s eyes didn’t shift over to Sam. Instead, he lifted his hands and began to sign.

“HI. YOU’RE ALEC LIGHTWOOD. I’M HAPPY MEET YOU. MY NAME ANDREW UNDERHILL…NAME SIGN –” his dominant hand in the ‘A’ hand-shape, Andrew moved it underneath the other hand.

Alec was taken aback, but pleased. “NICE MEET YOU. DEAF YOU?”

“YES.” Andrew seemed to only then notice that Alec and Sam were obviously on their way out. “SORRY, THIS BAD TIME?”

Alec mentally saw his checklist get a little longer. But it could wait. He hadn't met another Deaf shadowhunter before. “NO. YOU NEED TALK WITH ME?”

“IF YOU HAVE TIME.”

“COME SIT.” Alec sat behind his desk and Andrew sat across from him. Alec gestured for Sam to relax as well and the interpreter began to read his book near the fireplace. “YOU FROM WHERE?” Alec asked.

“SAN FRANCISCO INSTITUTE. I COME HERE SEE YOUR SISTER ABOUT NEW WEAPONS.” Andrew blushed a little. “BUT I'M HERE, SO I CAN’T LEAVE AND NOT TALK WITH YOU.”

“WHY?” Alec asked. He had not been notified of a meeting with a representative from the San Francisco Institute.

“YOU…CHANGE MY LIFE. I NEED TELL YOU…YOU VERY IMPORTANT.” Andrew was a little flustered, but he was encouraged by Alec’s active listening. “BEFORE, IN MY INSTITUTE, PEOPLE ONLY ALLOW ME WORK IN LIBRARY. 10 YEARS I WORK IN LIBRARY. I DISLIKE THAT. I WANT FIGHT AND HELP, BUT INSTITUTE LEADER NOT ALLOW ME.”

Alec frowned. He could only imagine how frustrated he would have been with such limited opportunities.

“I LEARN FIGHTING AT NIGHT, ALONE, SECRET,” Andrew shared with a bit of a sly expression on his face.

“GOOD,” Alec replied.

Andrew laughed. “BUT MY LIFE CHANGE SIX MONTHS AGO...WHEN MY INSTITUTE LEADER MEET YOU.”

Alec recalled meeting with the Head of the San Francisco Institute, a very tall woman with an authoritative presence. “I REMEMBER,” he said, “NAHID, YES?” Andrew nodded. “SHE ASK ME MANY QUESTIONS.” Nahid had been very interested in how Alec had trained as a fighter. Alec had informed her that he had been a mission leader for many years before focusing on diplomacy. She had also asked many questions about Sam – his training, his job expectations. Alec hadn’t thought much of it until now…people were usually surprised to see someone like him in charge.

“SHE RETURN FROM NEW YORK AND ASK MEET WITH ME. SHE TELL ME ABOUT YOU. SHE ASK ME IF I WANT LEARN FIGHTING. SHE ASK ME IF I WANT INTERPRETER. I SAY YES!” Andrew was looking at Alec with absolute admiration and respect. Alec felt a little overwhelmed. “YOU CHANGE MY LIFE. THANK YOU.”

Alec focused on his office door for a moment, composing himself. “I’M HAPPY YOUR LIFE BETTER.” He met Andrew’s eyes and smiled. “WE KNOW WE CAN DO ANYTHING. HEARING SHADOWHUNTERS NEED UNDERSTAND THAT.”

Andrew nodded and they rested in that moment for a while. Then, the blonde man stood up from his chair. “SORRY I INTERRUPT. I WANT TELL YOU THANK YOU. BUT I SHOULD GO BEFORE I’M LATE.”

Alec shook his hand firmly, then quickly jotted down his phone number. “TEXT ME ANYTIME.” Andrew blushed. He waved to Sam on his way out the door.

Alec got lost in his thoughts for a moment. He considered his childhood and how much he had needed positive representation. But there was none. So, he had fought his way to the top. And now…

Sam touched his arm, concern on his face. Alec took a breath and shook off his interpreter’s questioning look. “COME, WE HAVE MANY JOBS. FIRST WEAPONRY, NEXT CAFETERIA.”

Supper was very late, as predicted. However, all of Magnus’s irritation disappeared when Alec recounted his and Andrew’s conversation. Magnus kissed him deeply and showered him with affirmations, telling him he was incredible, changing the world for the better. Alec didn’t feel comfortable saying something that momentous about himself, but he let his partner’s kind words wash over him. “YOU ALIVE TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AND YOU ACCOMPLISH SO MUCH. MY FRIENDS AGE MANY HUNDRED YEARS…THEY NOT DO ANYTHING AMAZING LIKE YOU.”

Alec had felt alienated his entire life. It was a constant, uncomfortable feeling that had only recently begun to dissipate. In that moment, the feeling turned into something else…he felt special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twenty chapters, neat!
> 
> What has been your favourite chapter so far and why?


	21. The Window Seat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When they were teenagers, Alec liked to watch Jace play the piano.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ian MrPig requested Jace defending Alec when they were teenagers. I hope you like it!

Jace could always tell when Alec was stressed. It was like phantom hands clenching his shoulders, a shadow of a headache behind his eyes. It was strange experiencing feelings that were not his own, but after a few years Jace was getting used to it.

When they were younger, Jace would have to seek Alec out in times like these, traversing the Institute halls like it was a maze with his _Parabatai_ at its centre. But nowadays Jace knew that if the stress was strong enough to seep through their bond, Alec would find him soon.

Jace’s hands didn’t stop moving along the piano keys when he heard footsteps making their way across the hardwood. Alec took his spot on the window seat, leaning against the wall and watching Jace’s hands. Jace was playing Chopin’s “Nocturne No. 2 in E Flat”, but Alec didn’t know that. It didn’t matter to him at all. Jace wasn’t sure why watching him play helped Alec relax; all Jace knew was the overwhelming mixture of pride and relief when he could make his _Parabatai_ feel better.

They both knew that right now the Clave representatives were discussing who to appoint as the new Head of the Institute. Alec had crafted an undeniably strong application, but he was still tearing himself apart with nervous anticipation. Alec had a tendency to base too much of his self-worth on what others thought of him. He was one of the Institute’s top fighters and one of their best mission leaders, but he was still only 18 and he was Deaf. There was a big chance he would be rejected. Most of the Institute knew that Alec’s deafness didn’t hold him back, but there were still a few who doubted his abilities.

Once, as a volatile teen, Jace had made the mistake of picking a fight with one of those jerks. He had overheard a young Shadowhunter complaining that Alec was her mission leader, saying that she was a better fighter than him because she could hear. Jace had gotten lost in his emotions and, before he knew it, he was telling her to shut the hell up.

“What is he, your boyfriend?” the girl had sneered.

“No, but he’s my _Parabatai_ , and he’s also one of the best damn fighters at this Institute.” He had pushed her against the wall, growling. “You will show him some fucking respect.”

The Shadowhunter had then filed a report against Jace, which made its way to Alec’s long list of responsibilities. Alec had been super pissed off, but Jace didn’t know why.

“YOU MAD WHY? I NOT UNDERSTAND,” Jace had said to him, “WE’RE LIGHTWOODS. WE BREAK NOSE, ACCEPT CONSEQUENCE.”

“NOT ME,” Alec had responded, eyebrows furrowed. “WHEN YOU BREAK NOSE, THEY THINK YOU'RE STRONG. WHEN I BREAK NOSE, THEY THINK I'M UNSTABLE.”

“YOU MUST FIGHT FOR YOURSELF.” Jace had said, frustrated.

“I FIGHT FOR MYSELF. BUT NOT LIKE YOU FIGHT.”

“YOU FIGHT HOW? I NOT SEE.”

Alec had looked so exasperated, as if Jace was missing something obvious. “WHEN I ACHIEVE TOP MARKS, I FIGHT. WHEN MY MISSION SUCCESSFUL, I FIGHT. WHEN I TEACH YOUNG SHADOWHUNTERS, I FIGHT.” Alec often reminded Jace of an island, formidable yet desolate. “I MUST BECOME BEST. THEY CAN’T PUSH ME DOWN FROM TOP. BUT IF YOU CONTINUE BREAK NOSE, THEY CAN PUSH ME DOWN.”

“FINE. I WON’T BREAK NOSE.”

Jace learned to adapt his reactions as they grew up. Alec was right, it only put him in a bad light when Jace fought his battles like that. So, instead, Jace funnelled his indignation and frustration into passionate support. Instead of shoving people into walls, he simply spoke of Alec’s successes. When Alec made mistakes, he covered for him, sometimes taking the blame. And he took care of his brother.

So now Jace continued to play the piano, knowing that Alec would approach if he wanted to talk. It was kind of nice playing for someone who couldn’t hear if he was making mistakes. The visual of his hands moving over the keys was somehow comforting to Alec, and Jace felt the phantom stress dissipate through their bond. When the piece was over, Jace turned to see Alec fast asleep.

For such a tall young man, Alec could sometimes look very small. Curled up on the window seat, face pressed into the wall, he was a far cry from the stoic soldier he embodied on the battlefield. Jace felt a familiar flicker in his chest as he regarded his _Parabatai_ ; lately he was becoming more accepting of the dangerous way he loved. Jace knew that, without hesitation, he would kill for Alec Lightwood.

*****

Over a decade later, Jace was sitting at the piano bench once more.

“Can you play Rocket Man?” Max Lightwood-Bane asked, yawning.

“Who’s Rocket Man?” Jace replied.

“Not who! It’s a song! Papa listens to it when he’s making potions sometimes.”

Alec and Magnus were at a weekend conference in Alicante, leaving Max with Uncle Jace. Jace loved spending time with his nephew, but Max was an exhaustingly active seven-year-old. That’s how they had ended up in the study to unwind after a long day of games, training, and cooking.

“Sorry, kid, I don’t know it.”

“It goes, like –” Max proceeded to sing. Most of the words were mumbled gibberish, except for the words ‘rocket man’, which he sang very confidently. Overall, the demonstration was adorable but no help at all.

“That sounds like a great song, kiddo. But how about I play you something I know, and you just relax? Okay?”

Max yawned again and nodded. Jace began to play Chopin’s “Nocturne No. 2 in E Flat.” By the time the song was over, Max was fast asleep. Jace’s hands stilled on the keys and he tried not to let his emotions overflow. He was getting softer as he got older.

Max was curled up in the window seat, and Jace was struck by how much he looked like his dad. Although the young warlock was not biologically related to his parents, aspects of both Magnus and Alec shone through each day. Max used magic with the same reverent passion as his Papa. He fought with the same determination as his Dad. He smiled like Alec and laughed like Magnus. Like both of his parents, he was proud and stubborn as hell.

Having grown up in the Lightwood family, Jace saw aspects of Alec in Max that nobody else did. The way Max got flustered when he didn’t get something right the first time, the way that Max cared for and protected his friends.

Watching Max sleep in the window seat, his blue cheek squished against the wall, Jace smiled. With parents like Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood, this boy was going to change the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you folks are doing well!
> 
> Comments are appreciated :)


	22. A Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec confronts Raphael after finding out about Isabelle's addiction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meg asked for some chapters on how Alec met the other members of the Downworld Council. This isn’t exactly a meeting, but it’s an interaction inspired by your prompt, so this is for you, Meg.

Alec was a very effective communicator. He had to be. For a leader and diplomat, interpersonal skills were key to success.

And Alec had to put in a considerable amount of effort in conversations with hearing people. Lipreading was largely inefficient, so if his interpreter wasn’t present, the discussion was often based on writing or typing.

Sometimes the person knew a bit of ASL, like Simon. Alec appreciated a hearing person taking the time to learn his language, so he did his best to be patient and encouraging.

In general, if someone was taking the time to communicate with him, Alec was an expert at making himself understood in one form or another.

However, when Alec stormed into the Hotel Dumort, talking was the last thing on his mind. His blood was on fire, burning red hot with fury, betrayal, and shame. His sister was hurting, he had missed the signs, and now she was here getting her fix from someone who was supposed to be an ally.

Raphael stood in the middle of the room, uncertain but not surprised. He knew he deserved this. Isabelle was sprawled limply on the couch, signing to her brother with shaking hands, but Alec turned away. It wasn’t her fault, it was his. This bastard had taken advantage of her vulnerability.

Alec usually talked with his hands. In this case, his fists delivered his message very effectively. The dark wildfire inside of him enjoyed the feeling of his knuckles cracking against the side of Raphael’s face. He deserved this. Isabelle was in trouble and Alec had to protect her. If he couldn’t stop it from happening, he could at least avenge.

Raphael reached up a little desperately and grabbed both of Alec’s wrists in a steely grip. He was speaking, but Alec wasn’t focused. The vampire always mumbled anyway. Raphael’s eyes were big and earnest in an unsettling way. Alec tore his arm out of the other man’s grip and punched him again.

Suddenly, his movements were forcibly halted. Alec felt a turbulent, strong force take hold of his right hand. The energy was familiar, but he had never experienced it in this way before. Usually he was being enveloped. This time he was trapped. Alec felt the electrical magic take a hold of him and fling him backwards. The shadowhunter’s back hit the floor hard, knocking the air out of his chest.

He turned around, swiftly getting to his feet, eyes blazing. “MY FAMILY,” he signed fiercely to Magnus. “YOU NOT TELL ME ABOUT YIN FEN. NOW TOO LATE.”

“I NOT KNOW!” Magnus replied, his hands still alight with residual magic.

“YOU KNOW ENOUGH.” Alec didn’t wait for his boyfriend to respond. Instead, he approached Isabelle and grabbed her by the arm. Together they left the Hotel Dumort, one of them weak and stumbling and the other tense and fuming.

Alec had one goal in mind and that was to return his sister to safety. Isabelle waved her hand in front of him, but he didn’t look at her. Eventually, she gathered the strength to shove him in the chest, pivoting so that she was in front of him, blocking his path.

“STOP,” Isabelle said. Her hands shook a little, but her eyes were blazing like his. “YOU THINK YOU HELP, BUT NO. RAPHAEL HELP. I NEED HIM AND HE HELP.”

“NEED HIM?”

“BEFORE, HE SAVE MY LIFE.” Alec felt a jolt of panic, guilt, and disbelief. Isabelle continued, using her words as weapons. “YOU WHERE? YOU NOT NOTICE.” Each time she signed “YOU”, she used her pointer finger to shove Alec in the chest. He stumbled back a little. “GO,” she commanded.

The fire left Alec’s body like smoke exiting his lungs. He slumped in defeat, the guilt taking over. Guilt didn’t feel like a wildfire in his veins, it felt like poison seeping in through his skin. “PLEASE.”

“GO.”

Alec recognized the Lightwood stubbornness in her eyes and knew he didn’t stand a chance. He threw up his hands in defeat. He brushed past and walked to the end of the alleyway, then turned back. She hadn’t moved.

Alec walked back to the Institute alone.


	23. Lake Lyn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec feels Jace die. Isabelle feels lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEW TITLE! I hated the old one so I changed it.
> 
> Also, hi! I’m back! I’m sorry I haven’t updated this story in months. I became obsessed with “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (wrote a few stories there) and then Real Life got really busy. But I’m done my master’s degree and I have a job now! How exciting is that? Anyway, here’s a short chapter to get me back into the groove of writing this story. Thanks for sticking around.
> 
> eilish suggested I do a take on the season two finale where Alec felt Jace die. Here you go!

Isabelle hates this restless feeling. She knows Jace and Clary are out at Lake Lyn, in trouble, and there’s nothing she can do. The world could be ending, and she’s stuck in the Institute, watching the city fall from above. 

Isabelle is a woman of action. She always takes initiative, both in her social life and on the battlefield. Sometimes, she thinks the Angel made her this way in order to combat her brother’s overanalytical mind. Alec doesn’t do anything without thinking through all possible consequences. Well, that’s not true. His wedding brought forth a reckless side of him that Isabelle had never seen. 

Yes, Magnus Bane emboldens her brother and brings out the softness and humour that Isabelle hasn’t seen much of since childhood. But Magnus and Alec are fighting right now, neither of them willing to sit down and listen to the other’s perspective, both of them too proud to reconcile even at the end of the world. Isabelle wants to shake them. 

The room is silent, broken only by the beeping of sensors and hushed conversations from other rooms. Magnus has been uncharacteristically quiet all day, brooding and keeping himself busy. Alec is tense and worried, focused on the monitors. 

Electricity runs through Isabelle’s veins when she hears her brother shout. 

Alec’s a quiet man. Isabelle has heard him yell only a handful of times, and all of those memories are riddled with terror and anxiety. He only uses his voice like that on missions when there’s no way for them to see him or when he’s in pain. 

Isabelle whirls around and sees Magnus do the same. The same electricity must have passed through him, cutting through his stubborn anger and transforming it into concern. “Alec,” Magnus calls, but his boyfriend doesn’t see. He crumbles to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut, making awful, strangled noises. 

Isabelle runs to catch him, holding him from behind like they’re children. Alec seems so small in her arms for such a tall, strong man. He’s trembling. Magnus puts a gentle hand on his knee, his face clouded with worry. Isabelle knows he wants to help, to heal, but neither of them know what’s wrong. 

After a few torturous moments, the tension leaves Alec’s body abruptly and he looks up through his hair. Isabelle can’t see his face, but she can see Magnus’s. The warlock is very still. What he sees in his boyfriend’s eyes shakes him to his core. Alec’s raises his shaking hands and signs his _Parabatai_ ’s name sign. There’s a long pause, and then, “DEAD.” Magnus shakes his head. Alec lifts the bottom of shirt. Isabelle almost doesn’t want to look, doesn’t want to see the proof, but she has to. The _Parabatai_ rune is gone. 

Alec doesn’t cry. It’s as if something inside him broke and he’s running on auto-pilot. He tells Magnus to make a portal. He doesn’t look either of them in the eye. Isabelle knows what he’s thinking, and she feels the same. They have to find Jace and see for themselves. After that…

The forest around Lake Lyn is dense and dark. There’s a chill in the air, no birds are singing. It feels as if the lives on this land are reeling from some sort of incomprehensible impact. Or maybe that’s just Isabelle projecting her own internal state.

They see the water through the trees. No one’s hands move to communicate. They keep walking. 

It’s Clary’s hair that leads them to the part of the beach. Valentine’s body is a few feet away, still and forgotten. Clary’s leaning over a prone figure. Isabelle reaches takes her brother’s hand. Magnus puts his on Alec’s shoulder. Alec walks forward and both of their touches slip from his body. 

As they get closer they see that, yes, Clary is crying. But she’s not grieving. She’s not hunched over Jace’s lifeless form. They’re kissing. He’s alive.

Alec freezes. Isabelle covers her mouth with her hands, stifling a combination of a laugh and a sob. Magnus looks at both of them and his shoulders are soft in relief. Clary and Jace separate and look up. 

“Hey!” Clary says. 

Alec interrupts before she could say anything else. “YOU DIED. I FELT YOU DIE.” He looks like he’s in shock – confused, relieved, overwhelmed. Isabelle hugs him from the side, letting her tears soak into his jacket. This time he doesn’t move away from her contact. 

Jace and Clary stand up. Magnus moves forward and puts his hands on Clary’s shoulders, making sure she’s okay. Jace’s gaze moves between his siblings. He shrugs. “I’M FINE,” he says. 

“MY PARABATAI RUNE…” Alec signs shakily.

“LOOK NOW,” Jace replies. 

Isabelle separates from her brother’s side. The rune is there. It moves as Alec takes a huge breath. 

Seeing it breaks Isabelle out of the spell she was under and she runs to hug Jace. He smells like blood and sweat and his dumb cologne. He kisses the top of her head. Her heart tries to catch up to her brain. 

Jace separates from her and looks at Alec, his eyebrows raised. Alec still looks lost, but he moves forward and embraces his brother tightly. Jace’s fingers dig into the back of Alec’s jacket. 

Their world keeps on turning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are always appreciated! Maybe let me know what you think of the new title? I love a good pun and I think it's a little less pretentious than the old one lol
> 
> Sorry for the long wait!


End file.
